After 24 hours of probably one of the worst days in D'Angelo Russell's life, the Lakers played in their first game since the Russell/Young video leak and pulled off an OT victory against the Heat. Russell, who was greeted with boos and screams of "traitor" and "snitch" during the player introductions and early on in the game, scored 5 of his 16 points and the Lakers 15 points in OT.
"Oh, I knew that was going to happen. It's all good." Said Russell on the boos. "I can't really show my face anywhere without people hating me right now."
For now. It's only a matter of time until people forget and/or forgive, but in the meantime, it seems like he still has Jordan Clarkson on his side and to dab with.
Dab it out for the #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/tZd9JYG2oi
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 31, 2016
D'ANGELO'S APOLOGY
Before Wednesday's game, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski talked to Russell in depth about the incident.
"I am sick," Russell said. "I am sorry about recording the video. I can't repeat myself enough on that: I am sorry I recorded that video. I feel horrible. I wish this never happened."
“Honestly, I have no idea. Me and Nick, that’s our friendship: We play around a lot. Anyone who knows him and knows me, they know that about us. But I apologize for recording that video. I never intentionally wanted to hurt anyone. I never wanted what was said in there to get out. It was my fault that it did, but that was never intentional.
“The thing is, we record ourselves doing dumb stuff all the time,” Russell told The Vertical. “On the road or home, wherever. We go back and watch what we did and said and laugh at ourselves. I guess I just never thought that these pranks we pull on ourselves could have bigger consequences. That was a big lesson I learned.
“I’ve said to myself over and over: What could anyone possibly gain by intentionally doing something that could hurt someone else’s relationship? I never wanted to hurt anyone. I’m sorry for it.”