Friday was a historic day for the Los Angeles Lakers organization as with the start of the new league year, they announced a plethora of roster moves, including their blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook.
The announcements didn’t stop at roster moves though as the Lakers also inked head coach Frank Vogel to a contract extension. Vogel was entering the final year of the three-year deal he originally signed with the Lakers, and although the terms of the extension were not released, he will now be sticking around for at least a couple more seasons.
The extension was long overdue for Vogel, who led the Lakers to their 17th championship in his first season with the team. He then had them as the second-best team in the NBA before injuries derailed their season in 2020-21.
Despite Anthony Davis, LeBron James and other key players missing extended periods of time, Vogel still led the Lakers to the top-rated defense in the league.
Before getting a contract extension, there is no doubt that James signed off on Vogel as the coach he wants to move forward with. He showed that on Friday night when the Lakers’ star took to social media to congratulate Vogel on the extension:
Congrats Coach Frank!!! ???????? https://t.co/ZB3Rvlvlxl
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 7, 2021
James and Vogel seem to be a perfect marriage as the former is the biggest overall offensive force in basketball while the latter is a defensive genius.
The challenge ahead won’t be easy for either though as the Lakers essentially have a brand new roster for the 2021-22 season and the pressure will be on everyone, but those two specifically, to get back to the Finals and bring home the organization’s 18th championship.
L.A.’s roster is full of veterans that no what it takes to win it all though, which should make Vogel’s job integrating them all a bit easier.
Caruso thanks Lakers organization and fans
One player that Vogel loved that won’t be returning, unfortunately, is Alex Caruso after the guard signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Bulls.
The fan-favorite will remember his time with the Lakers fondly though as he recently took to social media to thank the organization and fans for treating him so well over the years.
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