Lakers’ Rajon Rondo and KCP Thanked Frank Vogel for Believing in Them

The Los Angeles Lakers are NBA Champions, thanks to performances from LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, the rest of the squad and the coaching staff deserve credit too. Had the supporting players not played their role effectively, they could have lost in the Playoffs. Coach Frank Vogel has taken a Lakers team with aging veterans and young stars with unfulfilled potential and helped them win a championship.

A big part of getting these players to where they need to be is showing that you believe in them. Coach Vogel has come out and said that his interactions with two players affirmed just this.

The Lakers take a gamble

Vogel became the Lakers’ coach after they fired Luke Walton. Initially, reports suggested that Ty Lue would become head coach after falling out with Cleveland and having a good rapport with LeBron James. But Lue wanted a five year guaranteed contract with the Lakers which the organization was unwilling to give.

Frank Vogel accepted the short-term contract and went on to become the head coach. The Lakers became title contenders after trading for Anthony Davis, but there were doubts about their squad depth going into the season.

During the Playoffs and in the Finals, Davis and LeBron were aided by several other players stepping up. Rondo, Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Dwight Howard, and others stepped up enormously and helped guide them to their 17th NBA Championship, tying them with rivals Boston Celtics. Vogel showed belief in these players, and it paid off.

Vogel’s faith rewarded

Frank Vogel went on Zach Lowe’s ‘The Lowe Post’ podcast. During the episode, he talked about interactions with players like KCP and Rajon Rondo. He said:

“He (Rondo) just took a moment to thank me fr believing in him. To me that’s one of the best moments as a coach, when you show confidence or belief in someone – and KCP and I had a similar conversation, because he was being highly criticized early in the season. So when you show confidence and belief in someone and they reward you with their play, and it ends up in this situation leading to a championship, that’s just special and something I’ll never forget. Above all else, that’s what you do this job for. For those types of moments.”

Vogel’s belief in players like Rondo, KCP, Howard, and others helped them improve their level of play. Their performances coupled with James and AD’s fantastic play propelled the Lakers to their first championship in 10 years.

Will Vogel be able to win another Championship with the Lakers? Do they need to get new players?