Trade to Brooklyn is like Magic to Russell
D’Angelo Russell doesn’t want to look back on his short and troubled tenure in Los Angeles. He isn’t interested in trading barbs with Magic Johnson. He’s done talking about his basketball skills and defending his leadership qualities. He’s not out to prove doubters wrong or stick it to a Lakers organization that gave up on him after just two seasons.
The polarizing 21-year-old point guard is simply ready for a fresh start. And that’s exactly what he’s received in Brooklyn.
The Nets announced Russell’s arrival Monday morning at the their training facility in Sunset Park. They acquired the former No. 2 overall pick in a trade with the Lakers last week, sending Brook Lopez and the No. 27 overall pick to L.A. for Russell and center Timofey Mozgov.
“Once I heard the trade happened, yes I was surprised. (But) I didn’t look at as a negative,” Russell said. “I looked at it as a celebration.”
It’s not surprising Russell is celebrating. After all, his first two NBA seasons were tumultuous — to say the least.
The low point was a public falling out with former Lakers teammate Nick Young in March of 2016, after a video shot by Russell surfaced on a gossip website showing Young discussing cheating on his then-fiancée Iggy Azalea, a rapper.
Massive fractures reportedly developed in the locker room in the aftermath of the video becoming public.
Despite the lingering issues, Russell stayed with the Lakers for the 2016-17 season. But when Los Angeles revamped its front office in February by hiring Magic Johnson as its president of basketball operations and ousting GM Mitch Kupchak and VP of basketball operations Jim Buss, Russell’s days were numbered.
Johnson then made his feelings on Russell clear after executing the trade last week.
“D’Angelo is an excellent player,” Johnson told reporters in L.A. on Friday. “But what I needed was a leader.”
The words were harsh, especially coming from one of the greatest to ever play the game. Russell largely shied away from responding Monday.
“It’s good to be here,” he said. “I can’t really control that, what they say. I’m gone. So it’s the past. I’m here now, so it’s irrelevant, honestly.”
General manager Sean Marks said he had a conversation with Russell about his expectations in terms of character and culture.
“I just said, ‘Look, those things matter to us.’ And he’s well aware of it,” Marks said. “I think everybody’s going to question what happened in the past with the whole
Nick Young (incident), but…I’m not really concerned about that, because I think if any one of us looked in our little dark secret closets there would be things that we would be embarrassed about and wish we could take back.
“I think he is aware that this is a new chapter for him and in a sense he does get to start over.”
Second-year coach Kenny Atkinson was adamant Russell’s reputation wouldn’t make his assimilation into the Nets a difficult process.
“Our guys will judge him by what he does in the Brooklyn Nets’ locker room,” Atkinson said, “and how he approaches his daily work.”
Monday’s news conference kicked off at 10:30 a.m. Ten hours earlier, Russell was in the gym at the facility working out and putting up shots. He posted a 45-second clip of the session to his Instagram account, which has over 2 million followers. Russell told the Daily News he arrived at the facility at midnight Sunday night and worked out for about an hour and a half.
“That’s where I’m really at at that time of the night,” Russell said. “I’m not anywhere else.”
Atkinson hasn’t gotten on the court with Russell yet, but he was impressed with the initiative shown in the late-night workout.
“He’s got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. I can see that already,” Atkinson said. “I don’t think he’s boasting about that. He even said, ‘I’m not trying to prove people wrong. I’m trying to control my situation.’ But it shows by being in the gym and his hunger to get better. I kind of like that there’s a little bit of a chip there.”
Russell is prepared to prove his worth on the court.
“I know what I am capable of,” he said. “I am tired of talking about what I do or what I am going to do. I think I have showed it. I want to get in right away and let my actions speak.”