As D’Angelo Russell preps for his sophomore season tonight against the Houston Rockets, the former Ohio State standout still has some learning to do on how to deal with the media. When asked how is it different going into this season without Kobe, Russell was very blunt.
“We’re all about playing together now,” Russell told ESPN the Magazine’s Alipour. “It’s not about one guy anymore. It’s about sacrificing for the team.”
Personally, I love when athletes are brutally honest with the media, but that doesn’t mean Russell didn’t rub Kobe fans the wrong way with his remarks. However, he did acknowledge that Kobe earned everything that came his way.
“Kobe deserved every bit of attention he got in his last year, but there’s freedom in Kobe not being around.”
For as great as Kobe’s legacy is, he was clearly holding this young team back the last few years of his career.