Lakers' D'Angelo Russell Says 'Public Humiliation' Fueled Him: 'I ...
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Athletes use all sorts of things to motivate them throughout their career. D'Angelo Russell uses the humiliation he has endured to fuel his recent surge for the Los Angeles Lakers.
After dropping 44 points and the game-winning bucket in a 123-122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, Russell explained public humiliation "molded me" into the player he is now and he wants "all the smoke."
"Public humiliation has molded me into the killer that y'all see today. I never lack confidence, I never fear confrontation, I want all the smoke. I want to talk about it."<br><br>D'Angelo Russell after dropping 44 points in a Lakers win over the Bucks ????????<a href="https://t.co/3AyAL7znaS">pic.twitter.com/3AyAL7znaS</a>
It doesn't take much to find criticism of Russell's play over the course of his career. Alex Kirschenbaum of SI.com wrote after Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals last season that the 28-year-old had an "embarrassingly poor" showing in the first three games.
Jack Tien-Dana of ClutchPoints.com wrote after that series against the Nuggets ended that Russell was "either the worst good player or the best bad player in the NBA" before listing three reasons the Lakers shouldn't re-sign him as he was heading into free agency.
Russell averaged 6.3 points on 32.3 percent shooting in that four-game series against the Nuggets.
The Lakers ultimately decided to keep Russell on a two-year, $36 million deal with the second year being a player option worth $18.7 million. He told reporters his decision to stay in Los Angeles stemmed from the organization making him "feel wanted."
D'Angelo Russell on returning to the Lakers: "They made me feel wanted"
That wanted feeling was fleeting, as Russell was being talked about in trade rumors leading up to the Feb. 8 deadline. He was rumored to be a key piece in discussions between the Lakers and Atlanta Hawks involving Dejounte Murray, but no deal ever materialized.
One reason the trade never came together is because the Hawks reportedly didn't want Russell and the possibility of him opting in to his salary for the 2024-25 season.
No one is happier that deal didn't come together than Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. Russell is in the midst of arguably the best stretch of his career. He's averaging 22.3 points on 44.6 percent three-point shooting and 6.5 assists per game in 21 starts since Jan. 21.
Russell's history means the bottom could drop out at any moment, but the Lakers are more than happy to ride this wave for as long as it lasts. He's been their third-best player, behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and a big reason they are almost certain to at least make the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
