The NBA’s regular season ended on Sunday, and the Lakers wasted no time announcing that they have parted ways with their now former head coach Frank Vogel.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement, “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court. Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship. This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. All of us here wish Frank and his wonderful family all the best for the future.”
According to ESPN, sources say Frank is the only person from the team’s coaching staff that has been let go at this time.
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As basketball teams gear up for the Playoffs, the Lakers are not eligible for this year’s playoffs after ending their season at 33-49, which landed them at the 11th spot in the Western Conference.
During his time with the Lakers, Frank was 127-98 and led the Lakers to the 2020 Championship title as they competed in the NBA bubble. He originally signed a three-year contract back in 2019, and then signed a one-year contract extension through 2022-23.
Thank you, Coach. pic.twitter.com/8eb4Ia9ZqI
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 11, 2022
According to Sports Illustrated, LeBron James had spoken to the media early Monday before it was announced that the team was letting Frank go as head coach.
Nonetheless, LeBron spoke highly of Frank and said, “I respect Frank as a coach, as a man. Our partnership that we’ve had over a few years here has been nothing but candid, great conversations. He’s a guy that gives everything to the game … at the end of the day, I don’t know what’s going to happen with Frank being here, but I’ve got nothing but respect for him.”
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
