Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka fires back at ‘unsourced’ reporting on Frank Vogel’s firing 

Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka fires back at ‘unsourced’ reporting on Frank Vogel’s firing 

Fank Vogel and Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka

Frank Vogel’s firing had some additional drama connected as the 2020 championship winning coach was made aware of the bad news well before the actual face-to-face discussions. Given the drama that unfollowed, Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was upset with the proceedings.

Rob Pelinka
Rob Pelinka

The Lakers had it coming after the bad season, the team was destined for big changes. But it started with the head coach being sacked from the position. With the speculations around the LA franchise regarding “Big” changes coming next season, Frank Vogel was the first one to be axed from the team. The news was not much of a shocker but events before the News were unsettling. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski surpassingly broke the news, even before Vogel attended his post-game interview.

The Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was not happy about the idea behind the “breaking news” and brushed aside the “unsourced” reporting. He said, “Frank “actually heard about our decision in an in-person meeting this morning.” 

Frank Vogel’s sacking and his time with the Los Angeles Lakers

Fank Vogel and Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka

Though Frank Vogel was part of the Lakers’ Scouting team early in his career, it was his coaching run with the purple and gold which modern-day fans cherished the most. He was not the first choice Head coach for most of the First team members, especially marquee LeBron James, who was reportedly looking to bring his favored candidate to the side. But the franchise stuck with the decision and they added Anthony Davis in the mix ahead of the 2020 season.

Vogel’s very first season with the Lakers was a productive one for the team and coach, as they were the top team in the West and went on to add NBA record 17th Championship to the trophy cabinet. They had an impressive 52-19 record in the league and a dominant 36-10 record in the conference.

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But things started to crumble apart from the very next season onwards. Los Angeles Lakers were shorthanded after timely injuries to LeBron and Anthony Davis. They finished up 7th in the West and were knocked out early in the postseason via Phoenix Suns.

Lakers made a quick fix to the injury issue by adding proven and fiery Russell Westbrook to the team in the 2021 offseason, forming their “Big 3” for the season. But performances on the floor were even disappointing as the Lakers failed to qualify for the Play-in situation, wrapping up their season earlier than expected.

Frank Vogel did receive his marching orders later, as Lakers official twitter posted the separation news.

Now that Frank Vogel is out of the Locker room, Rob Pelinka expressed his desire to hire a coach well before the start of next season to give the team some time to adjust to new tactics. A decision about the current roaster is still unclear, with many players heading towards “unrestricted free agency” or the end of the contract with the Lakers.

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