D’Angelo Russell still seems a bit upset with Magic Johnson over the Hall of Famer’s comments after he traded him to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. On The Backyard Podcast, Russell spoke about Johnson creating the stereotype about him not being a leader.
“I remember Magic Johnson was like ‘We need a leader,’ or something like that and I was already a natural leader,” Russell said. “Like, that’s just already me and I didn’t even know I was, right? After I got away from that, I was like ‘Damn, that’s really me. Everything that he said, I’m actually doing that.'”
Russell also realized in Brooklyn that players wanted to play with him, which went against other comments that Johnson had made at the time.
“I started realizing my teammates did want to play with me,” Russell continued. “I did make guys around me better. I did lead guys off the floor and help them get their s*** together, routine-wise, diet, sleep, whatever. I was actually that guy. But he created this stereotype that I wasn’t this guy so then I was fighting that my whole career.”
(starts at 15:56 mark):
As for what exactly Johnson had said, you can check out his now-infamous comments below.
“D’Angelo is an excellent player. He has the talent to be an All-Star. We want to thank him for what he did for us. But what I needed was a leader. I needed somebody also that can make the other players better and also [somebody] that players want to play with.”
Magic Johnson on D’Angelo Russell: "We want to thank him for what he did for us. But what I needed was a leader.” Full quote: pic.twitter.com/3FhPthOpN1
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) June 23, 2017
Magic was the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time and those certainly were some damaging comments considering his position. Also, the fact that one of the greatest players and leaders ever to play in the NBA said it, meant that Russell was branded as someone who wasn’t a leader.
I doubt that was Magic’s intention, as he was just being rather blunt on why he had decided to move on from Russell, whom the Lakers had selected with the second pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. Another reason for parting with Russell that Johnson had mentioned was the infamous incident with Nick Young.
Russell had secretly recorded and then leaked a conversation where Young admitted to cheating on his then-fiancee Iggy Azalea. She unsurprisingly split with Young after that and Russell certainly wasn’t a very popular figure among players because of it. That was where Johnson’s comments about wanting someone who players want to play with, were coming from.
Magic Johnson Commented On Russell’s Return To The Lakers
When Russell was shipped out of town in 2017, he probably never imagined he’d get to play for the Lakers again. He got that second chance, though, when they traded for him earlier this year. Considering the comments he had made in 2017, Johnson was asked about the Lakers getting Russell.
“I think D’Angelo has really grown and matured. He can score the basketball. He can pass the basketball. He doesn’t turn it over a lot. That’s what I like about him, too. That pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis is going to be special… If the Lakers can get in, and I think they will, nobody is going to want to play them. That’s for sure.”
He certainly has matured since then and has become a very good role player for the Lakers. Russell is currently averaging 16.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. His second stint has certainly gone a lot better than the first and he’d be hoping to be with the franchise for a long time.
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