Russell Westbrook said he believes former Lakers coach Frank Vogel had an issue with him throughout Los Angeles’ losing season.
In his end-of-season press conference Monday, Westbrook called his relationship with Vogel “unfortunate,” and said he felt as though he had to constantly prove himself in his debut season with the team.
“I’m not sure what his issue was with me, or I’m not sure why. I can’t really give you an answer why we never really connected,” Westbrook said.
“That’s something that he has to answer… from the get-go, was feeling like I had to try and prove myself to him, and my capabilities and what I’ve been able to do for this game. It’s unfortunate, but it’s out of my hands.”
The Lakers fired Vogel Monday after finishing the season with a 33-49 record, failing to make the play-in tournament.
Westbrook struggled offensively for most of his debut season with the Lakers. The 33-year-old averaged 18.5 points per game – his lowest since his second season in the league in 2009-10. His outside shooting struggles earned him the name “Westbrick” by fans and his wife Nina said their family received death wishes over her husband’s performance.
“When I first got here and just being a person that, unfortunately, people create narratives of me and who I am and what I do, what I believe in that are just not true,” Westbrook said. “I’m always having to, like, prove myself again year after year after year which is, to me, just unfair, there’s really 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 needed to be to be able to help this team.”
Westbrook admitted that it wasn’t his best season, and said he “embraced every change,” while sacrificing for the team.
Russell WestbrookGetty Images
Frank VogelGetty Images
“There were conversations, where I may have felt like what I…