Former Los Angeles Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell had a lot of ups and downs in his two-year tenure after being selected with the second overall pick in 2016.
While he was the subject of a lot of criticism due to things he did off the court, he never let it affect his play on the court.
Russell’s last game in a Laker uniform was a special one for him, as it came just hours after his grandmother died. The Lakers were trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-107 as time was expiring.
Russell found Metta World Peace wide open in the corner for a possible game-winning three-point attempt, but World Peace’s shot was short. Julius Randle was able to hustle to get the offensive rebound though, and when he was immediately double-teamed he found an open Russell for a three-point attempt as time expired.
The ball bounced off the rim and looked as if it was going to miss, but instead it bounced right into the basket for a game-winning three, securing a 110-109 victory. Russell’s teammates celebrated with him after the shot went in, and he was able to have a special moment with his brother in the stands.
That will be Lakers fans’ last memory of Russell as he was traded to the Brooklyn NetsK this past offseason along with Timofey Mozgov in exchange for Brook Lopez and the 27th pick, which ended up being used on Kyle Kuzma.
Russell did have the ability to knock down big shots late in games while he was with the Lakers, coining the phrase “Ice in my veins,” but he will now take that clutch shot-making ability to Brooklyn, where he will look to turn around a franchise that had the worst record in the NBA last season.