D’Angelo Russell speaks candidly about not feeling “held back,” his role with the Lakers, future free agency, and other topics
The bag was a very powerful symbol.
D’Angelo Russell, a 27-year-old basketball wanderer who has played for five different teams over the course of eight seasons, is all too familiar with the feeling of packing it in. His skill would tempt teams from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Brooklyn Nets to the Golden State Warriors to the Minnesota Timberwolves and back to the Lakers, but he would never quite get a chance to establish himself.
However, on Saturday night, when his aggressive scoring set such a crucial tone in the Lakers’ 127-97 rout of the Warriors in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Russell displayed his variety of abilities that today’s youth would refer to as his “bag.”
Those first three 3-pointers put the Warriors on the back foot. Less than four minutes into his one-man run, a running layup made the Lakers ahead 11-4. that rotating middle gaze. Another two 3-pointers are made after a breakaway layup. Then, with the Lakers leading the series 2-1 and Russell having finished with a performance of 21 points, five assists, and a plus-14 rating, it was only appropriate that he wore a real bag on his hip. But out of all the dime he gave out, the one that arrived after the game said the most about where he is at this particular moment.
