“Ain’t The First Time I Went 3-15”: 20 Year Vet Kobe Bryant Was Once Hilariously Consoled For His Poor Shooting By 19 Y/o D’Angelo Russell

Kobe Bryant‘s 2015-16 campaign got off to a horrendous. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar shot 13-of-36 from the field in his first two games of the campaign, but the worst was yet to come. In his third game of the season, Bryant shot 3-of-15 from the field in the Lakers’ 103-93 loss against the Dallas Mavericks. A few days later during his media availability, the veteran guard revealed that 19-year-old D’Angelo Russell tried to console him after the loss.

Bryant said,

“D’Angelo comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, man. I just want to make sure you are okay. Just wanted to make sure you aren’t thinking too much (about that performance].’ I said, ‘Listen, man. This ain’t the first time I went 3-15. I’m okay.'”

Bryant said the two laughed about the conversation and noted he would have done the same thing. He also claimed he appreciated the gesture and would be fine. While Bryant dismissed it as nothing but an off night, he continued shooting poorly through the first two months of the season.

In his first 12 appearances in 2015-16, Bryant attempted 200 shots and sank only 63, an abysmal shooting percentage of 31.5. He had arguably the worst game of his career against defending champions Golden State Warriors on November 28th, 2015. He shot 1-of-14 from the field for four points in a 34-point loss for the Lakers. The following day, he announced his retirement with a poem in the Player’s Tribune.

Bryant’s retirement poem was later produced into a short film that won an Oscar. The 5x NBA champion embarked on a retirement tour, earning tributes at every arena he played. He signed off on his NBA career with a jaw-dropping 60-point performance against the Utah Jazz.

Bryant brushed off Russell’s concern, but only weeks later, he knew it was time to hang his boots. Perhaps his teammates realized that he couldn’t shoot his way out of his slump this time before Bryant could. He finished the season averaging 17.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. However, his form was secondary. That season was all about celebrating Bryant and his incredible career. But in typical Mamba fashion, he refused to go out on a whimper, defied the odds, and capped off with a legendary 60-point performance.

D’Angelo Russell’s relationship with Kobe Bryant

The Lakers drafted D’Angelo Russell with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft to be Kobe Bryant’s long-term replacement. The veteran guard was entering the final year of his contract with the franchise, and the rookie, earmarked to be his successor, was hoping he would stick around for a bit longer. During the post-draft press conference, Russell said,

“Not knowing how much [Kobe] has left in the tank is the scary thing, knowing how much he brings to the game. But I’m really looking forward to him taking me under his wing if possible and really just feeding me the most knowledge he can and just letting me use that as fire against my opponents.”

Bryant retired at the end of the season, and Russell didn’t live up to his billing. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017, where he improved and earned a move to the Golden State Warriors. However, only months into his tenure, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he spent three years before shockingly being traded back to the Lakers in February 2023.

After returning to the franchise, Russell spoke about his rookie season in his introductory press conference. He revealed that he cherishes it because of the time he spent with Bryant.

“When I reflect on my time in the past, it’s all Kobe. All Kobe. Appreciating Kobe when I was here wasn’t really something I did because I was young and I was figuring it out. But as soon as I left, I appreciated him more. Now that he’s gone, I appreciate him even more. So when I reflect on that Lakers tenure when I was here, it’s all a reflection of him.”

Russell, now a veteran point guard, was instrumental in the Lakers’ run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals. He signed an extension with the franchise in the offseason and is looking to emulate Bryant and win a championship with the team that drafted him into the NBA.