D’Angelo Russell fell into a pretty good spot when he was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only will he not have to worry about running the entire offense immediately because of Jordan Clarkson’s emergence last year, but he gets to spend some time learning from one of the 10 best basketball players of all-time in Kobe Bryant.
Well, Russell will get the chance to learn from Bryant eventually, the two just need to meet first. In an interview with NBA Today on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Russell said that he hasn’t ever actually met the Black Mamba, and the only time the two ever exchanged pleasantries, it was over the phone for 30 seconds.
Fortunately for Russell, Bryant told him that he’s excited to get to work with a player of his caliber, which had to have been a cool moment for the former Ohio State star, because he also told NBA Today that Kobe is “my Michael Jordan.” To Russell, getting to play with one of his childhood heroes is “a highlight of my life.”
https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmnba/dangelo-russell-on-learning-from-kobe
Russell can certainly learn a lot from his childhood hero. Not only does he seem eager, but he struggled during Summer League, so getting some guidance from one of the best basketball players of all time as his career is winding down will probably be invaluable for one of the brightest young stars in the league.
[Via Sirius XM]
