D’Angelo Russell was in the midst of rejuvenating his basketball career in Brooklyn before suffering an unfortunate knee injury in mid-November. Russell had been playing his best basketball since getting drafted, carrying the Nets to a level of competitiveness nobody could have predicted this season.
Russell’s left knee injury required arthroscopic surgery, and despite the fact that we’re over a month removed from said surgery, the Nets have been reluctant to reveal exactly what’s going on with Russell’s knee. The party line from the beginning was that Russell would miss an undisclosed period of time, and the Nets haven’t deviated from that message.
Russell’s injury came just days after Jeremy Lin went down with one of the more disturbing knee injuries you’ll ever see. Lin was almost immediately ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee.
Fortunately for both Russell and Lin, they’ve always kept themselves busy off the court. Russell, for example, has a longstanding relationship with Foot Locker that has produced some of the best ad spots you’ll ever see.
Russell’s latest spot for Kids Foot Locker features the Nets guard surprising another “new kid,” 12 year old Jayson, who just moved to Brooklyn this year. Russell and Jayson spent the day exploring their new city for the first time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=115&v=rSgCzJlf01Y
Jayson got everything from a basketball session with Russell, to a phone call with Odell Beckham Jr., to some new Foot Locker gear, to some pizza for dinner. These “new kid” spots are nothing new for Kids Foot Locker, but it’s some of the most heartwarming content they produce. Jimmy Butler participated in one after he was traded to Minnesota, and Isaiah Thomas hosted one when he was dealt to Cleveland.
