NBA: Russell ‘secret’ video tears rift in LA Lakers
D’Angelo Russell (left) sits with Justice Winslow, Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor at the start of the NBA draft lottery in this May 19, 2015, file photo in New York. AP
LOS ANGELES, United States — Los Angeles Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell is at the center of a locker-room rift after secretly recording a conversation with team-mate Nick Young in a video which later appeared online, US media reports said Tuesday.
ESPN.com reported that Russell had been given the cold shoulder by several team-mates after the emergence of the video, in which Young — who is engaged to Australian rapper Iggy Azalea — talks about other women.
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An ESPN report cited unidentified sources with the Lakers as saying discord over the video was partly to blame for the team’s 48-point drubbing by the Utah Jazz on Monday, the worst defeat in Lakers history.
The report said Russell’s team-mates had started isolating the 20-year-old, noting that at a recent team breakfast meeting, Russell was left sitting alone.
“It’s bad. It’s about as bad as it can get. There were trust issues already. Now there’s no trust,” one team source was quoted as telling an ESPN.com journalist.
Team officials had reportedly chosen not to intervene in the situation.
“This was a prank gone wrong and a mistake by (Russell), and he has to be held accountable, but I would hope he isn’t overly criticized for it,” one team insider was quoted as saying.
The Los Angeles Times meanwhile cited a person familiar with the situation as saying the team were disappointed by Russell’s judgement.
“D’Angelo is sometimes 20 going on 14,” the Times quoted the person as saying.
“They’ve all been trying to prank each other this season. This was a stupid prank.”
The latest controversy comes after Young and team-mate Jordan Clarkson were accused of making lewd remarks to a 68-year-old woman and her daughter while driving in Hollywood recently.
The Lakers did not take action over the incident citing “different interpretations of what happened.”
