Kobe on D'Angelo Russell: 'He has my trust already because he's a gym rat'

A few months into the start of his Los Angeles Lakers tenure, rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell has already earned a stamp of approval from the longest-tenured, highest-scoring player in franchise history.

Kobe Bryant is a notoriously tough teammate, prone to challenging and questioning fellow Lakers over the years, and, in some instances, making them cry. But after getting a firsthand look at the No. 2 overall pick in his first NBA training camp, Bryant's been won over by Russell's like-minded work ethic.

"He has my trust already because he's a gym rat," Bryant said Wednesday, according to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.

Russell likely further endeared himself to Bryant with his extremely confident and optimistic take on this year's Lakers, who are looking to rebound from a franchise-worst 21-61 season.

"Expectations are high," he said earlier this month. "But this Lakers squad will most definitely be a playoff team."

All of which has seemingly taken the sting out of Russell's supposition that Tracy McGrady, and not his new, five-time champion teammate, was the greatest of all time.

Bryant's come to trust Russell so much, in fact, that he's ready to cede any and all ballhandling duties - at least in preseason team scrimmages.

"I don't think it matters, man," Bryant said after Wednesday's practice. "I don't have to handle the ball at all."