Silver screen fireworks
With the Lakers' situation growing more and more dire, Vogel has turned to the players best able to lead the team to a victory and play with energy and verve on defense and off the ball, and that has not included Westbrook on multiple occasions.
“I can be there as a leader and as a voice and whatever is needed for the team and that’s what I’ll do until, you know, my number or whatever is called during that time.”Īs the season has progressed, Vogel’s willingness to bench Westbrook in critical moments has only increased. So unfortunately I haven’t been able to do that for them, but that’s not my call. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the game to be able to help them, and that’s why I came here: To help them out. “And I told them I wished I could help them. “Just giving them some encouragement, just telling them ‘keep playing. Russ trying to cheer up LeBron and AD after a tough loss to the Bucks ❤️ /xhD8MXqfKM- ESPN February 9, 2022Īsked about the moment postgame and what he said to his teammates, Westbrook again used it as a chance to fire a shot at the coaching staff. Instead, the lasting image was of Westbrook consoling LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the final seconds on national television. Westbrook watched it all from the sideline, not logging a single minute in the period. The Bucks responded, though, and closed out the final minutes of the game for the victory. After entering the final frame trailing by 24 points, the Lakers had a spirited rally to cut the lead down to 10 after a dunk from Malik Monk. The viral moment of the night for Westbrook came late in the fourth quarter.
SILVER SCREEN FIREWORKS PROFESSIONAL
My job as a professional is to come to work, be in a positive mindset, put my head down and do my work to the best of my ability and be there to encourage my teammates. He makes whatever decision he makes, and that’s up to him. Westbrook was offered the opportunity of potentially clarifying his statement when asked if Vogel had detailed to him when he would and wouldn’t play, but he only dug his feet in further. And I’m speaking for me personally, so it’s a difficult process to be able to figure out and create some rhythm and some consistency where we can actually see what we’re able to do as a team, but those decisions are made by him and his coaching staff, and you’ve got to live with it and move on.” “You never know when you’re playing, you never know. “You never know when you’re coming in, you never know when you’re coming out,” Westbrook said. After a second-straight fourth-quarter benching, this one in a blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at home, Westbrook took aim at the Lakers coaching staff.īeginning with comments when asked about the team’s constantly changing starting lineups, Westbrook sounded off on Vogel and the other coaches for a number of things.
If Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook have been walking a tightrope teetering towards disaster in recent weeks, Tuesday is when when the tension finally snapped.