"I am not sure what his issue was with me" - Russell Westbrook calls out Frank Vogel, claims he didn't get a "fair chance" with LA Lakers this season
Russell Westbrook had one of the most disappointing seasons of his career during the 2021-22 campaign with the LA Lakers. He never really got going with the team's style of play and shared a complex relationship with head coach Frank Vogel.
The Lakers fired Vogel on Monday after a disappointing season, where they finished with a 33-49 record and failed to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Speaking about Vogel, Westbrook said:
"It's unfortunate 'cause I've never had issues with any of my coaches before as much as people may assume. Or I've never had an issue with any coach, any player or any staff members, anybody actually if we're keeping it honest."
He continued:
"From the moment I got here and you guys didn't notice it, but it was actually Frank and his wife's anniversary. And I actually sent him a bottle of champagne and stuff to his hotel room, which he didn't know anything about because it was a nice thing to do, a nice gesture."
"'I'm coming to the team, congratulations to you guys'. That's just the type of person I am, anything back in return. But that's just something I felt was the right thing to do, and I'm not sure what his issue was with me or I'm not sure why but I can't really give an answer why."
Although the LA Lakers have a long list of candidates who could take over, Frank Vogel contributed a great deal to the team.
Russ speaks on his first season with the Lakers https://t.co/zN5fdziUoZ
Russell Westbrook shares his take on LA Lakers' 2021-22 campaign
Since the LA Lakers campaign ended early, a number of their players have given exit interviews.
Russell Westbrook has made some interesting remarks about his season with the Lakers. He claimed that he had not been given a fair chance since joining the franchise.
The former MVP said:
"I'm always having to like prove myself again year after year after year, which is not fair. There's no reason I have to do that. So when I first got here, I just felt that I never was given a fair chance just to be who I wanted to be to be able to help this team."
"I knew coming here, I would have to make the bigger sacrifice than anywhere." @russwest44 on what was being asked of him this season. https://t.co/NJ4qhU1M8b
Westbrook ended the season averaging 18.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 7.1 APG. His scoring numbers were the lowest since his sophomore season.
Westbrook was slandered and criticized by the media for his performances throughout the season. Although he is one of the most strong-headed personalities in the game, hearing boos from home fans affected his morale.
on.nba.com/3jlN3jx.@russwest44 takes it all the way with the rack attack! 💥
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#NBA75 https://t.co/bY5EyPDtvU
Westbrook's future with the LA Lakers remains uncertain. He does have a $47 million player option. But after going through all that he has, it seems unlikely that he would want to spend another season with the franchise.