New Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has reportedly spoken with star small forward LeBron James, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
The Lakers hired Vogel last week. NBA Hall of Famer and former Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd will be Vogel's lead assistant.
Frank Vogel has spoken with LeBron, I’m told. Vogel will be announced as Lakers’ coach Monday.
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) May 16, 2019
When James was on the Miami Heat from 2010-14, he had a lot of battles with Vogel's Indiana Pacers teams. Vogel has a career coaching record of 304-291 in the regular season with the Pacers and Orlando Magic. He went 31-30 in the playoffs with the Pacers. The Lakers are hoping the 45-year-old can help lead them back to the postseason. The Purple and Gold haven't made the playoffs since 2013.
As we all know, being the head coach of a team with James on it comes with a lot of pressure. Some people around the league believe the Lakers aren't doing Vogel any favors by making Kidd his assistant. LeBron and Kidd have a strong relationship, as they were teammates on Team USA back in the day. Just imagine the firestorm the media is going to create if the cameras catch James talking with Kidd in the huddle instead of Vogel.
In his first season with the Lakers, LeBron averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists. This was the first season the four-time MVP didn't make the playoffs since his second year in the NBA.
Follow Us
Subscribe