ANKARA – The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Frank Vogel on Monday after they failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Having finished the regular season with a 33-49 win-loss record in 11th spot, the Lakers were eliminated from play-in tournament contention after their loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court," said Rob Pelinka, the Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager.
“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,” he added.
Vogel, 48, who led the Lakers to the NBA title in 2020, signed a three-year deal in 2019 and got a one-year extension through 2022-23 this past offseason.
Sacramento Kings part ways with interim coach
The Sacramento Kings sacked interim coach Alvin Gentry on late Monday after they failed to meet expectations this season.
The Kings were eliminated from the playoff race for an NBA-record 16th consecutive season.
"The entire Kings organization is grateful for the leadership of Alvin Gentry, who stepped up when he got the call mid-season," the Kings' General Manager Monte McNair said.
"We appreciate his leadership on and off the court."
The 67-year-old interim coach replaced Luke Walton in November but the Kings finished the regular season with a 30-52 win/loss record in the 12th spot. (Anadolu)
