Russell recalls Kobe's 'smirk' while keeping retirement plans secret
As a rookie last season, D'Angelo Russell was only starstruck by one person - his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.
Russell had been working out in the Lakers' practice gym ahead of last season when he heard The Black Mamba would be there as well.
"Everybody was like: 'Kobe's coming today' - which was a big thing because he really never came through until two or three weeks in," the 20-year-old recalled of his first encounter with the Lakers great to Rob Perez of Fox Sports.
"Then he showed up and I was like: 'Wow, that's Kobe Bryant...' He had this smirk on his face I'll never forget but it makes a ton of sense now because no one knew he was retiring yet."
Of course, in late November, Bryant announced his impending retirement - set for the end of the campaign - rendering Los Angeles' 17-win season to primarily a farewell tour for the 20-year veteran.
That distraction was good for Russell, as it helped mask his poor first season. He averaged 13.2 points, 3.4 boards, 3.3 dimes, and 1.2 steals in 28.2 minutes per game while shooting 41 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from long range.
Still, more than his on-court production, the 6-foot-5 point guard's year will be remembered for the off-court drama between him and teammate Nick Young. Russell infamously recorded a conversation he had with Young, who admitted to infidelities, in a video that went viral.
"It was bad," the former No. 2 overall pick said. "It wasn't the best rookie year. But, I had some big learning experience from it and coming into this year - I'm beyond excited."
He's looking forward to playing under new head coach Luke Walton.
"He wants me to shoot the ball when I'm open," Russell said. "When a coach tells you to shoot the ball, it's like a green light for you ... But the catch is you got to be good enough to know that when you're not open, you gotta pass. That's the responsibility he's thrown at me and everybody."
The Lakers hope Russell can thrive while shouldering that responsibility. After all, there are some Mamba-sized shoes to fill in LA.