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Ex-Warriors Guard D'Angelo Russell Takes Slight Jab at Lakers
Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) reacts as he leaves the court after missing a 3-point basket at the buzzer against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

D'Angelo Russell has had a very interesting NBA career, but the former second overall pick is still going strong after a decade in the league. It is an impressive feat to play for over a decade in the NBA for any player, even a high lottery pick.

D'Angelo Russell's NBA career at a glance

Russell started his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, playing alongside Kobe Bryant in his last year in the league. Through his first two seasons in the league, Russell and the Lakers won just 43 games combined, until the franchise decided to move on from their young guard.

Since his time with the Lakers, Russell has been passed around the NBA, having stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, another stint with the Lakers, and then made his return to the Nets before ultimately landing with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.

While Russell has experienced plenty of change throughout his career, the first trade he was a part of is the one that molded him into the player and person he is today.

Russell's trade from Los Angeles to Brooklyn

In the 2017 offseason, Russell was traded across the country, from the Lakers to the Nets, and that one move changed his career completely. In an episode of Wy Network by Dwyane Wade, Russell took a subtle shot at the Lakers, saying that the culture and structure in Brooklyn were much better than his experience in Los Angeles.

"The organization in Brooklyn is different, it's unlike any other," Russell said. "...I came from the Lakers, where the structure is not the same. Then I go to Brooklyn, where it's all structure, and it taught me how to be a professional. I would always approach the game where I was kind of nonchalant and I felt like I could just wing it. When I got to Brooklyn, they taught me how to be a professional, how to sleep, how to eat, how to recover. That's why I'm still playing to this day."

Russell is simply saying that the Lakers organization allowed Russell to just go out there and "wing it" without any type of structure, and if he had never escaped that culture, he would not be nearly as successful as he is now.

After his first tenure in Brooklyn, Russell was sent to the Golden State Warriors, another high-culture franchise that likely helped him continue to grow.

This article first appeared on Golden State Warriors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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