D'Angelo Russell: 'The language Kobe Bryant spoke was foreign to me at the time'

Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell recently discussed how he’s handled the pressure of a contract season and wants to remain a Laker in free agency this summer as part of a lengthy interview with HoopsHype.

In the remainder of the interview, Russell explained how the birth of his son, Riley, has changed his life, the similarities and differences between playing alongside LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, how the season has gone for the Lakers, the unfair injury-prone label on Anthony Davis, his bond with Austin Reaves, and more below.

How would you describe this Lakers season?

D’Angelo Russell: I think we’re much better than our record. We match up, adjust, and do all these different things in the flow of the game. The problem is we’ve got 12 different guys that can be out there. When that random group of five is out there, the familiarity with what we’re trying to do is on the fly. A lot of teams have five or six guys that know they’re always going to have an idea who’s going to be in and where’s this and that. We’ve got a new guy every game because there’s no telling who’s going to be out there because of injuries and other things. It’s a good problem to have. I think that’s why we utilize 82 games a year to prepare for the postseason. So I definitely think we’re better than our record, and we’re still trying to figure it out and hitting our stride. I like where we’re at.

What has playing with LeBron meant to you and what have you learned?

DR: When it comes to the basketball side of things, it’s an adjustment. You’ve got to learn how to play next to one of the greatest of all time. As far as what I’ve learned, we really spend so much time on the bus, plane, in traffic, and those small little windows where there’s nothing else going on when I feel like I benefit the most from him. I get to hear about how he did what he was thinking and his approach. It’s almost like you go through your daily routine and ask, “What would LeBron do?” You know he’s going to take the high road and do the best that you can do with whatever he’s doing. He’s a complete role model all around. When you have your stuff in order off the floor, it allows you to have this attack mode and mentality on the floor, knowing that everything else is taken care of.

How are LeBron James and Kobe Bryant similar and different from your experiences with both?

DR: I played with Kobe on his way out, and I’m playing with LeBron, who I still think is at the tip of his prime. Not his prime, but you get better the older you get in some cases. I feel like he’s still getting better in the sense of having to do more with less athleticism, obviously. It shows every aspect of his game, his shooting and post game. I got Kobe on the way out. The language he spoke was foreign to me at that time. I couldn’t relate to a lot of stuff that he was saying, but he would always talk to me about it as if I knew. The older I got, the stuff would click, and I’d say, “Dang, I remember him saying that.” Growing up a fan of LeBron, I was always searching for wisdom from him, asking him questions and trying to pick his brain on how I could be better. That’s how I was with Kobe. I wasn’t shy to ask questions ever. I always gravitated towards the ones people were scared to ask those questions. They both gave me very detailed orientated answers that allowed me to get better. When I was here earlier, we weren’t winning games. Now I’m here playing with LeBron, and we’re trying to win games. That’s a completely different thing on its own. 

How have you grown as a leader?

DR: I always feel like I was a natural leader. I just had my own way of doing it. I felt earlier in my career, I was challenged to be a leader, and I went extreme with it and went way out of my way to be a great leader and to prove that I was a great leader. Being around guys who were traded allowed me to take away something from everybody. When I was ready to be seen and showcase my abilities, everything would be magnified that I’ve learned from so many different people.

How did you and Austin Reaves form your bromance?

DR: I think we both honestly were caught in the pickle of how to play next to these guys. You have LeBron, Anthony Davis, and this Lakers whirlwind kind of haunting you always, good or bad, because you’ll be trending for something. When I got here, he was that fresh fruit that was kind of that golden child. I remember being that and going through the ups and downs. I always tried to take pride in preparing him for what was about to come next if I could and help him see what he was going through. We became fans of each other. I said, “You’re going to be here a long time, bro. You might as well take all this in.” I was preparing his mind for all of that. He had a heck of a summer and came in ready to continue to dominate the game.

What are your thoughts on Anthony Davis’ play this season and the injury-prone label he’s had?

DR: I think that’s a huge misconception. It does nothing but motivate him. I’ve never seen him take a game off defensively. He might not win the matchup, but he’s always there. There’s no night off defensively for him. That’s his bread and butter. I’ve seen him rise in the playoffs, where it’s a different level, and he dominates. I’ve always got his back in that sense.

How has your son changed your daily routine as a basketball player?

DR: I’m all about my boy. My routine as a single young man in the league was different than my routine as a boyfriend turning into a dad. My routine has changed a lot. This year, I’ve found myself getting into this mindset that nothing is too big. Everything is normal. I tried to undervalue everything. I didn’t want to overthink, overvalue or overdo things. I started to underthink, underdo, and underwhelm on game days, and it got me into this space where I show up to the games, and it’s just another game at a Rec League. That’s my mentality.

You’ve mentioned being in a flow state of mind on your podcast. What does that mean?

DR: It’s a mentality and an approach that me and my boys were working on and practicing. Whatever we do, how do you get to that flow state with our approach and attach that to basketball, a podcast, and training habits? I vividly remember us talking about it and trying to implement it into basketball. Once I focused on it, I found myself getting there more frequently and consistently. I haven’t looked back since. It’s a real thing. I think less and trust the work.

Has the birth of Riley and your flow state of mind helped you the past two years?

DR: Last year, I was talking to my brother, Tone, and I’m shooting the best numbers I’ve ever shot, and it’s like no one talks about that. That’s what you work towards. People are so analytical nowadays. You work to get to that. Then, I got to it, and it didn’t seem like it was valued. I was like, “Dang, I feel like I could shoot better than that.” This year, I’m shooting career highs again. I’m like, maybe that is tied to the birth of Riley and being a dad. I put the work in. When I broke the record (Lakers single-season 3-pointers made), a lot of my closest people texted me with super sincere messages, and they all had the same common denominator saying, “You put the work in.” That made me smile even more because people around me know how hard I work and how I approach the game.

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