SUMMARY
- D'Angelo Russell was captured on video wiping away tears while sitting on the bench after a recent game.
- The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly searching for a third key player to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers are seeded No. 9 in the Western Conference after defeating the Portland Trailblazers on home court. What’s astonishing is that after a disastrous losing streak, the team has managed to record five wins in the last eight games. And three of these games were won by a double-digit leading score. The trailing team, however, seems to be deep in trouble, as the core team is facing some disconnect with the head coach.
Amidst all this ruckus, the approaching trade deadline has added to the stress. In a recent video that floated on X, D’Angelo Russell can be seen wiping his tears while sitting on the bench. It seems like the video was taken post-game after the star guard recorded a massive score. While sitting on the bench beside Austin Reaves, the 27-year-old Lakers’ guard seemed to wipe off a tear that was about to fall off his right eye.
Does he know something we don’t? pic.twitter.com/nfZo6ICLae
— ⁶ (@SpeakContext) January 22, 2024
Taking notice of the video, a fan was quick to comment that it might be his last game with the Lakers. The video was floated by a Twitter page, and the said comment read, “His last game.” It’s worth noting that Russell fits in with the rest of the team.
However, the question is whether the team will sacrifice the bonding for a more established player or not. Russell scored a massive double-digit score on January 21, 2024, and the tears might be nothing else but a feeling of accomplishment.
The Los Angeles Lakers have not made an official statement about trading D’Angelo Russell as of now. However, the team is indeed searching for a third pillar to stand beside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Will the Lakers still trade the player?
D’Angelo Russell maintains silence after his 34-point performance
The Lakers swept the game 134-110 against the Portland Trail Blazers recently, and that too with a new starting lineup. The new-look starting line-up had Rui Hachimura step in in place of Taurean Prince. Russell, on the other hand, handled the second half with great might. He recorded 8 assists on 14-21 shooting from the field and 6-11 from the 3-point line. D’Angelo Russell hit a 34-point score and recorded his third 30+ point performance of the season.
Although Russell didn’t make any remarks on the trade rumors, the player seemed sad. When asked about the growing disconnect between the players and the head coach, he maintained silence and said, “Just keep our confidence high and keep all our problems in-house.” The moment of the night was when the guard threw a bounce pass lob to James in the final minutes of the second quarter.
The fans got overjoyed just by seeing the pass and celebrated the move with ‘Hoos and Haas.’ Soon after, the duo shared their signature handshake on the court. Will this performance convince the Lakers to keep the star player for yet another season? There’s enough conjecture around this speculation.