D'Angelo Russell on Lakers' game plan: 'Give Kobe the ball'
The Los Angeles Lakers are in uncharted waters. Every loss from here on out sets a new franchise record. Mercifully, there are only four games left, so the game plan is simple: Get Kobe Bryant the rock.
"Give Kobe the ball," rookie guard D'Angelo Russell said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes. "Wherever he's at, give him the ball."
Bryant's season-long farewell tour has seen the future Hall of Famer cheered in every NBA city, many fans hoping for one final volume shooting performance likes the ones he's famous for.
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It's been a mixed bag in Bryant's last 12 games, shooting 69-for-190, good for a 33.7 percent mark from the field. That includes, however, an 11-for-16 performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and a season-high 34-point explosion against his old nemesis, the Boston Celtics.
Bryant conceded that his ball-dominance is coming at the expense of younger Lakers like Russell.
"I feel bad for the other guys, because every time they shoot the ball, they get booed," Bryant said after Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. "I can feel that, and I understand that. I just try to get my body ready as much as possible to try to give the fans what they want for these last few games. And God willing, I'm healthy and I can move and I can play well enough and I can give them what they came to see one more time."