Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell told NBA reporter Dave McMenamin of ESPN that he reached out to LeBron James for advice in 2018-19 when he was on the Brooklyn Nets.
“I was like, ‘Bro, how do you become more consistent of a player?'” Russell said. “He said, ‘I read. I sleep. I eat. My routine is on point.’ I still got the text. And honestly, he was the reason I developed a routine.”
Russell made his lone All-Star team in 2018-19. He averaged 21.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocks while shooting 43.4% from the field, 36.9% from beyond the arc and 78.0% from the free-throw line.
The Lakers drafted Russell with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Russell played two seasons with the Lakers before getting traded to the Nets in the summer of 2017.
The 28-year-old Russell spent two seasons with the Nets before getting traded to the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2019 in the Kevin Durant sign-and-trade deal. Russell only played 33 games with the Warriors before getting traded again, this time to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Russell played in 173 games with the Timberwolves before getting traded back to the Lakers at last year’s trade deadline. The Louisville native re-signed with Los Angeles last summer in free agency on a two-year deal.
Russell is averaging 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists this season while shooting 47.1% from the field, 42.4% from beyond the arc and 80.1% from the free-throw line. He’s the third-best player on the Lakers behind LeBron and Anthony Davis.
“I think he has the ability to do whatever the team needs, especially offensively,” LeBron said of Russell. “That’s what’s special about him. He can adapt to whatever the game calls for. But when D-Lo is at his best, he’s in attack mode.”
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
