D'Angelo Russell is one of the top prospects for the upcoming NBA Draft, and is even being regarded as the best player in the class, too.
Russell will be selected in the top 5, and sources say he won't go past the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3. However, could the Los Angeles Lakers take the Ohio State shooting guard away from the City of Brotherly Love?
There's a chance, but it seems like Los Angeles is more likely to take Duke center Jahlil Okafor. However, Russell says he would like to be selected by the Lakers at No. 2, and he even made his case for it to Yahoo! Sports.
“If I were to go to the Lakers, I wouldn’t want anybody to hand me anything,” Russell told Yahoo Sports. “I wouldn’t expect Kobe to take me under his wing. I think he will want to see a resemblance of that hunger and fire that he came into the league with as a young kid. No one needs to be nicest guy in the world, or needs to pretend to be that. He will see through that, pick all that apart.
“I’ve got to be me.”
Russell could be huge for the Lakers. He would compliment well with Kobe in the backcourt with his shooting, scoring and passing. He also could end up being the future of the franchise.
“I want to work for it,” Russell told Yahoo Sports. “I know I can earn it. I am not Magic Johnson and I’m not 6-9, but I am 6-5 and it gives me an advantage to see over the smaller guards. Watching Magic, you learned to turn your back, put the guards on your hip and then dice up the defense.”
We'll see what the Lakers decide to do on Thursday night.
