The LA Lakers are on their way to the worst season in the history of the franchise, and it is also the last year that Kobe Bryant will step foot on an NBA court. Now, there is yet another problem that has come down on their shoulders, and it has to do with one of their budding stars and someone they consider their future: D’Angelo Russell . The rookie point guard has now been alienated by the team due to his actions and could end up being released or traded.
A lot of rumors went around before the NBA trade deadline in mid-February that Russell would be traded, but it never happened. Now, the talks have heated up for the summer, and there is some discussion of his possible release, but there are legitimate reasons.
ESPN.com has reported that Russell has lost the trust of his teammates after a video surfaced within the past week showing Russell recording a private conversation between him and fellow Laker Nick Young. In the video, it doesn’t appear as if Young knows he is being recorded, and he has not admitted as such either.
It has gotten so bad in the Lakers’ locker room that teammates are not speaking to him before or after games, at practice, or at any real time. At a recent breakfast meeting, no Lakers would go near Russell and sit wit him at his table.
An incident in the locker room saw Russell enter and sit next to veteran Lou Williams. A minute later, Williams stood up and walked away from him. One source said members of the Lakers already had trust issues with Russell, but now “there’s no trust.”
As reported by Deadspin , the video was posted on Twitter last week by a gossip site known as Famelous , and it showed Russell filming Nick Young while they are watching TV in a hotel room. Russell asked Young about women, and the veteran speaks of hooking up with a 19-year-old woman “after the club” this past summer.
If true, that would seem to be an admittance of Young cheating on Iggy Azalea, his fiancée.
NBA star Nick Young Caught on Video Admitting To Cheating On Iggy With A 19-Year-Old Girl After The Club! pic.twitter.com/9ny9tDG0Mb
— Fameolous (@Fameolous) March 24, 2016
One thing that isn’t known is how Famelous came in possession of this video to post online in the first place. Nonetheless, it has made it online, and a longer version is out there and includes a portion that Famelous left out, which has Young learning he was being recorded.
Now, there is more than enough attention on the video and on D’Angelo Russell, and some of that focus is coming from Iggy Azalea herself.
hmmm i see D Angelo Russell is trending… I actually liked his film. Thanks bro.
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) March 30, 2016
The tension in the LA Lakers’ locker room has risen to an all-time high, and things haven’t been helped by their 15-59 record for the season. Making matters worse was a Monday night loss to the Utah Jazz that saw the Lakers defeated by 48 points.
A number of Lakers officials are aware of the issues at hand with D’Angelo Russell and his teammate, and they have not intervened in it all as of now.
With that being said, the Lakers have not said anything about Russell’s future with the team or if the rookie will be with the team for the 2016-2017 season. It appears as if the officials are possibly hoping that the situation will boil over and end up fading away as time goes on.
Russell started the first 20 games of the season for the LA Lakers, but he was then sent to the bench along with second-year player Julius Randle. Lakers head coach Byron Scott has questioned the maturity level of Russell on a number of occasions this season.
D’Angelo Russell has still played in 72 games this season while averaging 13.1 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Austin Brown is Russell’s agent, and he would not comment on the situation regarding his client. One team insider told ESPN that it was a “prank gone wrong” and a “mistake” that Russell needs to be held accountable for.
Long since being eliminated from playoff contention, the video has now taken over the attention of the team, the locker room, and just about everything else dealing with the LA Lakers. D’Angelo Russell is in very hot water with his teammates, and Nick Young still has not spoken publicly on the situation, but it isn’t good.
[Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images]