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Prior to his first game against the Los Angeles Lakers since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets over the offseason, D'Angelo Russell indulged further about his dealings with his former team.
One of which was an indirect jab at him from Lakers president and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson discussing the need of a leader at the point guard position. According to Tania Ganguli of the LA Times, Russell stated on Friday night that Johnson's comment following his departure.
"I would say it ruffled a few feathers…He's in a position to say what he wants." D-Lo on Magic saying he traded him b/c he needed a leader
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) November 4, 2017
Through his first two seasons with the Lakers, Russell dealt with many questions concerning his leadership and maturity level beyond just his inconsistent play on the court. This saw him go back and forth with then-head coach Byron Scott in his rookie campaign.
All of this seemingly became a part of the decision to move on Russell after only two years in the league in favor of moving forward with rookie point guard Lonzo Ball as the new face of the team. What also must be taken into consideration is that the new front office regime led by Johnson had no part in drafting the 21-year-old, which gave them no personal connection to him.
That said, Russell has a prime opportunity to prove that he can not only step into but also excel in a leadership role with the Nets this season and possibly well beyond that.
