NBA: Los Angeles Lakers fire coach Frank Vogel after season flop
Los Angeles Lakers sacked head coach Frank Vogel on Monday, saying a change of leadership was needed after the club's shock failure to reach the playoffs. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka confirmed Vogel's dismissal in a statement, a day after the club's miserable campaign drew to a close. "This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point," Pelinka said. Speculation over Vogel's future intensified after the Lakers' final regular season game on Sunday, with ESPN reporting that the coach -- who led the franchise to a 17th NBA championship in 2020 - would be fired. Talking to reporters later Monday, Pelinka said the Lakers' season had been "disappointing at every level." "When you have disappointment you need to take ownership of that and make adjustments to be better," Pelinka said. "Today's not going to be a day of finger-pointing or unwinding all the specific reasons, we just felt organizationally, that it was time for a new voice." The sacking came as Lakers players addressed the media in end-of-season interviews.
