"I think Frank deserved a little better than that, especially the way it kinda happened" - LA Lakers player holds front office accountable for botching Frank Vogel's firing

Just how badly the LA Lakers front office dropped the ball continued right up until the last game of the team’s disastrous season.

Former head coach Frank Vogel led a team that had decided to shut down LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers, who were already eliminated from the play-in tournament a few days before the Nuggets game, won in overtime at Crypto.com Arena. The post-game presser became a sensation when Frank Vogel was virtually informed of his firing through the media who were asking him questions.

Stanley Johnson, the LA Lakers’ versatile wingman, appeared on the Doug Gottlieb Show and revealed his displeasure at the way their former head coach was treated:

“I think Frank deserved a little better than that, especially the way it kinda happened. I think we all have accountability for what happened like it was not Frank Vogel’s fault, but it seems like since he got fired first, you know what I’m saying?”

He added:

“It seems like, ‘Oh, let’s blame it on Frank.’ Frank and his staff, they did nothing but helped us. We all could have been better.”

It seemed like the LA Lakers totally forgot that just two years ago, their head bench tactician led the Purple and Gold to their 17th championship. At the very least, they could have considered that and given the champion coach the respect he deserved.

Johnson, who gained significant playing time as the season progressed, emphasized just how Vogel worked behind the scenes to help the team succeed. Even after they were eliminated, the Lakers’ utility man was appreciative of his former coach’s dedication and competitiveness.

“He never quit. He’s not a quitter. Not any point in time, we go into film session, even losing, we’re trying to figure out how to win. It was never no pity, he never gave us a way out. He never didn’t call people out. We did everything we could do, we just weren’t good enough.”

With the way Vogel was pushed out of the team he led to the title, the LA Lakers’ search for his replacement could be harder than expected.

---

A few LA Lakers legends called out the way Frank Vogel was ushered out the door

Shaquille O'Neal ripped the LA Lakers for the way they fired Frank Vogel. [Photo: Lakers Daily]

The information regarding Frank Vogel’s firing has to have come either from the front office or the management. Allowing the media to question their former head coach on his last day about the firing without prior knowledge reeked of unprofessionalism.

Magic Johnson, on several occasions, has already said on record that the LA Lakers will blame Vogel. He would be the easiest and most convenient scapegoat for the horrible mess that the front office created.

Shaquille O'Neal, on The Big Podcast with Shaq, had this to say:

“Yeah, he was done dirty ‘cause that’s how I heard I was getting traded.”

The iconic LA Lakers big man would then advise other possible replacements not to “waste their time” coaching his former team. Shaq also stressed that he would have quit before the team had the chance to dismiss him had he been in a similar position.