The hate is constant when you’re in a spotlight as bright as being a Los Angeles Lakers player. Radio, print, TV, social media, wherever you go there’s somebody talking ill of the Los Angeles Lakers. Especially locally.
D’Angelo Russell is starting to find this out, but in this case the hate is justified. He’s just not getting the job done at the moment and he knows that and is getting used to the constant criticism.
He was in line to return to the starting lineup soon, Lakers Coach Byron Scott said before that game, but Russell said the promotion wasn’t warranted.
“The way I’m playing, I don’t think I deserve that,” he said. “I’ve just got to stop being lackadaisical.”
The rookie was similarly down on himself after Friday’s loss. After an eight-game run of double-digit scoring, Russell has scored three and eight points the last two outings.
He’s aware of the criticism sometimes lodged at the second pick in last year’s draft.
“Any time anybody says anything bad about me, that means I’ve got to work,” he said. “LeBron [James] still gets criticism. Jesus still gets criticized.
“My family is my biggest critic and my boys that I keep in my circle, my brothers that live with me. They’re the first ones to tell me, ‘You stunk it up tonight.’”
I’m not one of his brothers but like most of you if I watched him play regularly I would say regardless of whether he knows me or not “You stunk it up tonight”.
Welcome to the 21st Century D’Angelo!
