Los Angeles Lakers rookie D'Angelo Russell spent Wednesday being raked over the coals after mainstream sports media picked up on the public revelation of a video he'd surreptitiously recorded in which teammate Nick Young discusses relationships with women outside of his engagement to musician Iggy Azalea. All manner of takes flew fast and furious, with much of the commentary focusing on the 20-year-old's breach of locker-room decorum and unwritten intra-squad rules — basically, you don't put teammates' personal business out in the street, and you super don't secretly record private conversations about teammates' sex lives, even if you have no intention to make them public and have no idea how they'd ever get out — and the long, difficult road Russell faces as he attempts to regain the trust of his teammates and rehabilitate his reputation in an NBA world that's an awful lot smaller than many might realize.
(And here, before we go any further, is where I say something that should go without saying: while none of us knows the particulars of the relationship between Young and Azalea, cheating on your significant other is a bad thing, and is not something that anyone should condone or support. I find it hard to excuse Russell too much for the consent-free taping that landed him in this mess, but I also find the "bro code"-pounding justification for his public pummeling to be some pretty weak sauce; on that score, The Nation's Dave Zirin has more.)
After apologizing profusely for what he termed a prank gone wrong — first to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, then to a horde of reporters prior to Wednesday's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat — Russell began the process of facing the music in public, hearing boos when he was introduced at Staples Center:
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Mixed reviews for D'Angelo Russell's intro in tonight's starting lineups pic.twitter.com/IcdHNmkgVk
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The chilly reception continued after the opening tip, according to ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes:
When the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft touched the ball for the first time on offense, fans continued to boo. When the former Ohio State standout launched his first shot, a 3-point attempt from the right wing, fans continued to boo. And when Russell stood at the free throw line to complete a three-point play after scoring his first basket, fans continued to boo.
Indeed, it was evident from the outset of the game that he would receive no sympathy from the Lakers' faithful in attendance a day after ESPN reported that a rift had developed between Russell and his teammates when a video that Russell secretly recorded of Nick Young surfaced on social media.
Some fans shouted "Snitch!" and "Traitor!" — calls that were crystal clear for all to hear.
Russell responded by doing the only thing he can do: putting his head down and trying to play through the noise.
He once again struggled with his shot, as he has for most of the past few weeks, finishing just 6-for-19 from the floor. But with the Lakers hanging in against a Heat team that disappointingly played down to the level of its competition, Russell stepped up when it counted, playing tough defense on Dwyane Wade to force a miss on a potential game-winner late in regulation before scoring five quick points to spark the Lakers' offense in OT:
And after fellow young Laker lottery pick Julius Randle made a sweet spin move and canned a short jumper to seal a surprising 102-100 L.A. win over the playoff-bound Heat, there was Russell, joining his teammates in mobbing Randle:
But while an all-too-rare and much-needed victory had Russell and company flashing smiles on the court, after the game, he acknowledged that he's not seeing too many friendly faces right now, and that he doesn't expect to for the foreseeable future:
And after fellow young Laker lottery pick Julius Randle made a sweet spin move and canned a short jumper to seal a surprising 102-100 L.A. win over the playoff-bound Heat, there was Russell, joining his teammates in mobbing Randle:
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D'Angelo Russell celebrates with teammates after beating the Heat in OT pic.twitter.com/kJRL8B6JXK
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Dab it out for the #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/tZd9JYG2oi
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D'Angelo Russell postgame interview (Part 1) pic.twitter.com/EQumAwAID2
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| Rob Perez
@World_Wide_Wob
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D'Angelo Russell postgame interview (Part 1) pic.twitter.com/EQumAwAID2
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D'Angelo Russell postgame interview (Part 2) pic.twitter.com/IvS3eA5Mdu
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Russell expected boos and insults and worse, and he got them all, and he'll probably continue to get them for at least a while. After the game, Lakers star Kobe Bryant — who knows a thing or two about unflattering footage getting out and about the broiling of intra-team extramarital beef — offered his view on both the incident and how Russell can, and should, proceed in its aftermath:
It's, uh, unfortunate, man. It's tough. I think there's a lot to learn from that, and I'm sure he is. I'm sure he'll evolve, I'm sure he will grow, and I'm sure he'll be better from it. I don't think there's much he can do about it now; outside of the countless apologies, there's not really anything else but just continue to perform, continue to win the trust of his teammates and peers, and onward he goes.
I think the guys [in the locker room] are understanding. I think we're all human beings. I don't think anybody can really hold anybody to strict judgment, because everybody makes mistakes. If we're being honest with ourselves or sincerely self-assessing, I think we'll realize that we've all made mistakes and we've all made massive ones at times. I think the important thing is to show compassion, empathy, and help him grow, and help us grow as a team, as a unit.
I had a chance to talk to him earlier today. All I can do is just, like, do my best Yoda impersonation and just give him that kind of sage advice, I guess, you know. One day pass, this shall. Something like that.
Until that day comes, though, Russell knows he has to keep working to prove that he's learned from his grievous error in judgment, both on and off the court. More from Holmes:
"You can't undo the damage that's been done. All you can do is stay apologetic from your heart and show how much you care and how sorry you are to your teammates for putting them through something like this that really could tear a locker room apart. It's all on me. It's my job to let guys know that I messed up and I've got to bounce back from it."
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