Lakers' Russell: I cried as a kid watching LeBron play

Years before getting the opportunity to play alongside LeBron James in the NBA, D'Angelo Russell was just a young fan marveling at The King from the stands.

Russell spoke about how James has continued to inspire him following the Lakers' 134-131 overtime win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday, recalling how he was brought to tears after watching his idol play in person for the first time.

"He's the first person I saw play in the NBA, to be honest," Russell said of his Lakers teammate, per ClutchPoints' Michael Corvo. "My dad took me to my first NBA game against the (Indiana) Pacers. (I'm) from Kentucky so that was our pro team, and they played the Cavs, and I was a big LeBron fan. He did that signature dunk, and I remember crying."

"Being at the game as a fan and watching him do that dunk that he would always do in the commercials and seeing him do it (in person), I remember crying vividly. That's when I was like, 'This is where I want to be.' So he's inspired me without even knowing it. He's continuing to inspire the youth, his teammates, but the youth as a whole. Everybody kinda looks up to a guy like him. He paves the way for us on and off the floor. He's a true role model."

James, the league's all-time leading scorer, is closing in on more history, as he's just nine points away from becoming the first NBA player to accrue 40,000 career points. He figures to reach the milestone Saturday when the Lakers host the Denver Nuggets.