D’Angelo Russell’s stint with the Los Angeles Lakers may not have ended the way he had envisioned it, but he still feels privileged to have played for one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets guard can also consider himself lucky to have had the opportunity to play alongside Kobe Bryant, who is a legend of the team and league.

Having been teammates with Bryant in his rookie year, the Ohio State product recently recalled what he learned from The Black Mamba. Russell shared, via Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, that he now has a deeper understanding of the business side of the league because of him. Russell also added that he also wants to end his career just like Bryant, who is well respected.

“I learned a lot. I learned how to go to a business type of approach toward everything, what it was to go work for something. I saw the respect that everybody had for him around the league. That’s what you want to get to throughout your career. You want to get to that point where everyone respects. On your way out, there is no better salute than congratulations.”

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Now with the Nets, Russell is one of their cornerstones and is relied upon heavily night in and night out to lead the team to wins. Despite only being 22 years old, the lessons he’s had from playing in Los Angeles and getting valuable advice from Bryant in the past makes him one of the most important players of the Nets.

While he still has a long way to go before even getting near what Bryant has achieved in his illustrious career, Russell can carve his own path and prove that he deserves to be in the NBA. If he can channel his learnings from the five-time champion to make him a better all-around player, there's a chance he can one day end his career with a lot of awards and honors as well, which will make Bryant proud of him.