Lakers' Vogel: Not looking over shoulder at Kidd

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- New Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel called new assistant coach Jason Kidd "an incredible asset" and said he's not going to worry about looking over his shoulder.

Vogel said that although the Lakers' front office planted the seed of adding Kidd to his staff, he welcomed the former Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks head coach as his assistant after the two connected and had a "lengthy" discussion for the first time. Vogel and Kidd did not have a previous relationship, but the Lakers' head coach laughed off the notion that some might view Kidd as a potential successor.

"No, I am very good at blocking out noise," Vogel said with a chuckle when asked about how some in the media have already deemed Kidd as a successor. "I have been around this business a long time. I really don't give that a second thought. You can say that about every coach in the league about their assistant coaches. It happens from time to time. I believe if you treat people with the right respect and do the job at the highest level, build an environment of positivity and collaboration, you can't worry about that stuff.

"You can't worry about looking over your shoulder. You got to worry about getting good damn coaches, and that is how I feel about this hire."

Vogel, who went 304-291 (.511) in his career as head coach of the Indiana Pacers (2010-16) and Orlando Magic (2016-18), said he's had his most success with a strong assistant coach who has playing and coaching experience on his staff.

Kidd interviewed with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis for the head-coaching vacancy before the team opted to offer Ty Lue a contract. Lue walked away from negotiations when the Lakers refusedto budge from its three-year, $19 million offer, sources told ESPN.

Vogel, who shares an agent with Lue, was originally presented by Lue as a potential coach to join his staff when he met with the Lakers brass. When Lue removed himself from consideration and the Lakers expressed interest in meeting with Vogel for the head coaching position, rather than as an assistant, Lue gave Vogel his blessing, sources told ESPN.

The Lakers now hope Kidd can help Vogel develop young players such asLonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart. Kidd also has a relationship with LeBron James, having played alongside James on Team USA.

As a head coach, Kidd went 44-38 and reached the second round of the playoffs in his first stint as a coach, with the Nets in 2013-14, and was 138-152 in 3 seasons in Milwaukee from 2014 to 2018.

As the Lakers focused in on Vogel as head coach, he reached out to Kidd and the two got to know each other with a long phone conversation in which each became comfortable with the other.

"I didn't know Jason very well prior to that," Vogel said. "But, obviously, great respect for his playing career and his coaching career. I think he's done a good job as a head coach. ... This has been the model that's best for me, in terms of building my coaching staff: find a respected player with coaching experience that can help strengthen my message.

"I had a great, lengthy interview process with Jason where we talked about every topic you can imagine, and came away thinking he's going to be an incredible asset to our program."

Vogel said he addressed Kidd's domestic abuse arrest in 2001, when Kidd pleaded guilty to charges of domestic abuse involving his then-wife Joumana.

"Of course it does," Vogel said when asked whether the incident gave him pause. "But this was something that was in the past, and he's sort of spoken upon it and moved on from it. I believe he's in a very different place than back then."

Vogel was also optimistic about the current state of the Lakers despite the tumult that has surrounded the organization since Magic Johnson unexpectedly stepped down as president of basketball operations in April. Vogel said there's "a positive vibe happening with our team right now," but he also stressed the need to build continuity.

"We need to build togetherness with our organization, and I don't just mean with the 15 guys or 17 guys that are going to be in uniform or in that locker room," Vogel said. "I'm talking about organizational togetherness. Starting with ownership and the front office to the coaching staff, the players, the trainers, the business side -- we are all going to be pulling in the same direction. This is something I've always preached as a head coach because you can accomplish amazing things if everybody is together. When that happens, with the way we do things from day to day, that stuff translates to the court and how we play."

Part of Vogel's optimism heading into next season stems from the belief that LeBron James will bounce back from an injury-plagued season. A groin injury limited the four-time MVP to just 55 games.

Jamesattended the entirety of Vogel's news conference on Monday, standing in the back, away from the cameras, leaving the spotlight on the team's new coach.

Vogel said he did not have any dialogue with James before accepting the position but their discourse has been encouraging since he entered the fold.

"It was very positive," he said when asked about his communication with James. "There's an excitement about what we can be and what we can accomplish, and I'm looking forward to getting started with this."