While he is no longer with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kyle Kuzma showed his love and appreciation for Frank Vogel, who was relieved of his duties as LA head coach.

The Lakers officially parted ways with Vogel on Monday after a disastrous 2021-22 season that saw the team miss the playoffs, finishing 11th in the Western Conference. Even before the announcement though — right after their final game on Sunday, in fact –news already broke that the Purple and Gold franchise was moving on from the veteran tactician who brought them a championship in 2020.

Upon seeing the initial news, Kuzma took to Twitter to honor his former coach and remember their championship stint together:

“Frank!!!! Once a champ always a champ!! Great fun run!!!” Kuzma wrote on Twitter.

Kyle Kuzma was part of the trade package given to the Washington Wizards to bring Russell Westbrook to LA. While that was a sad ending for what was once a promising LA career for him, it's not surprising to see him thankful to Frank Vogel.

After all, as mentioned, he was the one who guided the Lakers to win the championship in the bubble. Some might be questioning the legitimacy of the win, but regardless of what other people say, it was Kuzma's first NBA title of his career and it will always have a special place in his heart.

Vogel is the Lakers' 27th head coach in franchise history. Unfortunately for him, despite his success some two years ago, it was not enough to save his job after their unforgettable season. His relationship with Westbrook (or the lack thereof) has also been a major talking point, and the general belief is that he lost the locker room midway through the campaign.

He compiled a 127-98 win-loss record throughout his tenure with the team. For what it's worth, general manager Rob Pelinka also released an official statement on Vogel's firing, noting their respect and gratitude for the 48-year-old tactician:

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court,” Pelinka said. “Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship. This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. All of us here wish Frank and his wonderful family all the best for the future.”

It remains to be seen what's next for Frank Vogel and the Lakers. Vogel could certainly garner some interest for teams looking for a coach with championship pedigree. Meanwhile, the Purple and Gold have the difficult task of finding a replacement who can steer the ship back at the right direction.

There are still a lot if uncertainties for the Lakers, especially on the future of Westbrook and Anthony Davis. The two have been in trade rumors as of late, and those talks are only expected to intensify as free agency nears.

As for Kyle Kuzma, the Wizards also missed the playoffs despite a hot start to the season. However, compared to the Lakers, they are poised to have a better performance come 2022-23 with the current talents they have on their roster. Aside from Bradley Beal, the team also traded for Kristaps Porzingis at the deadline. The youngsters they have like Rui Hachimura and Corey Kispert have also shown flashes of brilliance, so Kuz has to feel good about that.