LeBron James is set to work with a third head coach in his fourth year with the Los Angeles Lakers following the franchise’s dismissal of Frank Vogel.
The first season of Vogel’s reign ended in the 17th NBA title for the Lakers and James’ fourth championship ring. However, L.A. severely underachieved in the following two campaigns with the disastrous 2021-22 costing the 48-year-old coach his job.
But James had only kind words to say about Vogel during his exit interview earlier this week.
“I respect Frank as a coach and as a man in our partnership that we’ve had over a few years here has been nothing but just candid,” the Lakers star said.
“Great conversations. He’s a guy that gives everything to the game. Prepared us every single night along with his coaching staff as well. You’ve got to give those guys a lot of credit, too.”
When asked about the way the Lakers handled Vogel’s firing, James said there wasn’t much he could do about it. “Well I mean, I only can control what I can control,” the four-time NBA champion said.
“At the end of the day, I knew what time I was coming to speak to y’all so I woke up extra early, got my daughter ready for school, dropped her off at school and I came down here to see y’all. I was here at 8:45 and was ready to start at what would’ve been 9 o’clock on the dot but someone kept me so I was in here at 9:03.
“So I apologize for those three minutes, but I can only control what I can control and you can’t worry about what’s going on on the outside and how people feel and things of that nature. So it’s a lot of things that could be done a certain way, could be better if done this way or that way, but when a decision is made, you’re never gonna make everybody happy. So that’s just the way it is.”
Reports about Vogel’s firing came out right after the Lakers’ win over the Denver Nuggets last Sunday — and before the franchise’s leadership informed the former head coach about the decision, leading to an awkward postgame press conference.
Jazz’s Quin Synder ‘less interested’ in Lakers job because of how L.A. parted ways with Vogel
The Lakers have been severely criticized for their treatment of Vogel in the aftermath of his uncomfortable exit.
Rumors claim the organization’s blunder could backfire as one of L.A.’s top candidates for the job, the Utah Jazz’s Quin Snyder, has reportedly become “less interested” in replacing Vogel because of the way the Purple and Gold handled their head coach’s firing.
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