Lakers’ Russell Westbrook on Frank Vogel: ‘I’m Not Sure What His Issue Was with Me’

April 12, 2022 World Sports

The relationship between Russell Westbrook and Frank Vogel never worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers in the point guard’s eyes.

“We never really connected,” Westbrook told reporters Monday after the Lakers announced they parted ways with Vogel as the head coach. “From the get-go, I was feeling I had to prove myself to him.”

Westbrook also said of Vogel, “I’m not sure what his issue was with me.”

If there was an issue for Vogel, it may have been rooted in Westbrook’s play.

While the nine-time All-Star is a future Hall of Famer and former league MVP, he didn’t look the part in his first season with the Lakers. It was an awkward fit from the start with LeBron James since they are both so ball-dominant, and his shooting struggles continued as he hit 29.8 percent of his triples.