The relationship between LeBron James and his head coach has been a key ingredient in all of his championship teams, and his partnership with Frank Vogel was a factor in the Lakers building a dominant defense and developing a system that suited James and Anthony Davis so well. Vogel expanded on their connection in an interview with Jim Rome of CBS Sports on Wednesday, praising James for being “a great partner.”
WORLD CHAMPION @Lakers coach Frank Vogel gave @jimrome a glimpse into how this season gave him even more perspective on LeBron's greatness. pic.twitter.com/doI5xScmRi
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) October 14, 2020
“He just has an unbelievable feel for the game of basketball and what creates winning basketball,” Vogel said. “The ability to impact our team with his mind, not just on a particular play but the development of a team … being a great partner with (me) throughout the course of this year in building this thing, combined with the fact that he’s able at age 35 to go out and dominate the way he did … just gave me a whole new perspective on what I already knew was a great player.”
Vogel also pointed out how the Lakers did this after going into the 2019 offseason with just three players — James, Davis, and Kyle Kuzma — on their roster. By working with the coaching staff and altering his game to be even more of a passer than before, James was able to lead the Lakers to a title in his second season with the team.
