When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for future Hall of Fame guard Russell Westbrook in the summer of 2021, it was a move many believed made them the favorites to at least reach the NBA Finals.
But due to many reasons, the Lakers sputtered loudly throughout the 2021-22 season, resulting in a 33-49 finish. They failed to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Just after the conclusion of their final regular-season game, word leaked out to the media that the team had decided to fire head coach Frank Vogel. Vogel was in his third season at the helm of the Purple and Gold and had led them to the NBA championship in 2020.
His firing still seems somewhat mysterious, and some believed he was made into a scapegoat by the organization. According to Sam Amick, Vogel was dismissed because owner Jeanie Buss felt he didn’t successfully integrate Westbrook (h/t The Cold Wire).
Jeanie Buss reportedly believed that Frank Vogel was mainly responsible for not successfully integrating Russell Westbrook and ultimately greenlighted his firing, per @sam_amick
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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 8, 2024
Starting in the middle of that ill-fated season, Lakers fans called for Westbrook to be traded. After L.A. tried him in a sixth-man role early last season, it finally sent him out in a three-team deal that brought it D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley.
Once the trade was made, it went 18-9 the rest of the way and reached the Western Conference finals. As one source put it, albeit in an acerbic fashion, Westbrook leaving was akin to removing “a vampire from the locker room.”
After leaving the Lakers, Westbrook joined the Los Angeles Clippers, and he has seemingly played better since. He has also seemed happier and is playing more freely than he ever did with the Purple and Gold.