It's no secret that D'Angelo Russell's time with the Los Angeles Lakers was not exactly the most memorable stage of his career. After being selected second overall by the Lakers in 2015, things did not exactly pan out for the young point guard in Hollywood. He was out of there after just two seasons.
It's also common knowledge that Russell didn't exactly get along with former head coach Byron Scott. Their quarrels both on and off the court were well-documented. Apparently, Russell still hasn't gotten over his spat with Scott to this very day.
In the book entitled Built To Lose: How the NBA’s Tanking Era Changed the League Forever by Jake Fischer, the author reveals the type of relationship the pair had in LA. As it turns out, Scott only wanted what was best for Russell (h/t Christian Rivas of Silver Screen & Roll).
Scott would Russell when he thought the rookie was freelancing instead of settling the table for teammates. He’d offer varying reasons as to why he benched Russell during crunch time situations. “I think Byron coached D’Angelo from the heart. He did what he thought the best thing for D’Angelo was. It would have been easier had he just taken the path of least resistance,” Eyen says. “But he didn’t. It’s a lot more difficult to try to do it, what you feel is the right way, and discipline when you need to disciple. Pat him on the butt me give him accolades when he deserves it and just do what you need to do for not only the team, but for the long term of the player.
The former Lakers stud, on the other hand, did not see it the same way.
Russell, frankly, disagrees. Scott didn’t handle sophomore forward Julius Randle with the same kids gloves. “He’s an idiot,” Russell says of his coach.
Russell felt Scott often yanked him from close contests purely to spark controversy and attention for his postgame media availability. “I just think he was malicious for no reason,” Russell says. “He’s a solid man. But as a coach, he was bad. He was just bad at his job.”
Russell wasn't shy about not being on good terms with Scott during their time together with the Lakers. As a matter of fact, Russell admits that he “used to do all types of s*** to avoid talking to him.”
Now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Russell has been able to reach new heights in his career. His tenure with the Lakers now feels like a lifetime away. Nevertheless, some wounds clearly have yet to heal.
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