After entering the 2021-22 NBA season as favorites to win the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers ended up limping through the season, and ultimately missed the playoffs. Now, the front office is blaming LeBron James and his agency Klutch Sports, for the failure.
A primary factor of the 2021-22 Lakers was the acquisition of NBA star Russell Westbrook. This move gave the Lakers a new ’Big Three’ and on paper, this move made the Lakers favorites. However, in reality, quite the opposite occurred, as team chemistry slacked and Westbrook went on to have one of the worst seasons of his career with the Lakers.
Klutch Sports, an agency founded by LeBron James’s best friend Rich Hill, represents both James and fellow Lakers star Anthony Davis. The Lakers front office is claiming that the acquisition of Westbrook was influenced by Klutch Sports, who influenced the team management to trade away prominent pieces including Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso, who were instrumental in the Lakers’ 2020 ‘Bubble’ Championship.
Russell Westbrook discusses his relationship with Frank Vogel. pic.twitter.com/pfVfUVY5GO
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 11, 2022
Following the Lakers’ elimination from playoff contention, Westbrook blamed then-head coach Frank Vogel for his, and the team’s, struggles. “I’m not sure what [Vogel’s] issue was with me, or I’m not sure why. I can’t really give you an answer why we never really connected…It’s unfortunate, but it’s out of my hands.”
Westbrook, notably, also removed all Lakers photos from his Instagram account on Wednesday, possibly hinting at the end of his awkward time with the Lakers. Vogel was fired on April 11 after two seasons with the team, following an abysmal 33-49 finish in 2022.
“When I first got here and just being a person that, unfortunately, people create narratives of me and who I am and what I do, what I believe in that are just not true,” Westbrook continued. “I’m always having to, like, prove myself again year after year after year which is, to me, just unfair, there’s really no reason I have to do that. So, when I first got here, I just felt that I never was given a fair chance just to be who I needed to be, to be able to help this team.”
What do you think of the Lakers blaming their woes on Westbrook and LeBron James’s company, Klutch Sports? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
