Google News Russell Westbrook rips media, opens on disconnect with Frank Vogel
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Russell Westbrook admitted there was a disconnect between him and now the former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel but he couldn't tell what was the cause for that. On Monday, the Lakers officially dismissed Vogel as their head coach.
The Lakers parting ways with Vogel is just the beginning of what will likely be an offseason marked by many changes. "I think it's unfortunate, to be honest, because I've never had an issue with any of my coaches before," Westbrook said, per ESPN.
"I'm not sure what his issue was with me or I'm not sure why, but I can't really give you an answer to why we really never connected." Last summer, the Lakers acquired Westbrook via a trade with the Washington Wizards. The Lakers gave up a couple of players and draft picks to acquire Westbrook but it didn't pay off.
Westbrook, who was the most criticized Laker throughout the season, said he never got a fair chance to succeed in his first year in Los Angeles.
Westbrook: I wasn't given a fair chance
"When I first got here, the ability to be able to do what I'm able to do for a team and an organization wasn't given a fair chance," he said.
Also, Westbrook blamed the media for for making false stories about him. "The famous 'source' stories that came out about myself, whether it be between me and the staff, me and Frank, me and the fans, there's just so many made-up stories that are not true," Westbrook said.
"It's just always having to fight against that constantly. It's just not [being] given a fair chance. It's like, 'OK, now I got to fight against this made-up story. Now I got to fight against this one. Now I go to fight against this one.
Now I got to fight against this one.' " When asked to mention one example of a false story published about him, Westbrook declined to name an example. "No," Westbrook said. "I can't. You know the examples. I don't want to get in details, what story, who wrote it, why ...
it's pointless. It really doesn't matter because it's not true. If it doesn't come from me [it is not true]." Also, Westbrook suggested LeBron James and Anthony Davis weren't quite honest when they repeating "let Russ be Russ." "Yeah, [they said it]," Westbrook said. "But that wasn't true."