“I Was Just Naïve to His Whole Legacy at That Time”: D’Angelo Russell on Playing Alongside Kobe Bryant as a Rookie

Sharing the court with one of the legends of the game is a lifelong dream of many NBA players. D’Angelo Russell got to live that dream right out of the gate when he got drafted into the league. Having played with Kobe Bryant during his rookie years, D-Lo admits how naïve he was back then.

Russell was the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Speaking on his time with Bryant early in his career on the Run Your Race podcast, this is what the All-Star guard had to say.

“I was just naïve to his whole legacy at that time. I’m 18 bro. So, I’m young and dumb. Everything’s funny. Kobe Bryant, let me see if I can make him laugh. Just young and dumb, bro.”

Despite D-Lo’s numerous attempts to crack up Kobe and his demeanor, The Black Mamba was always unfazed. Russell went into how Bryant tried to take him under his wing and impart some of his knowledge to him. 

“I got it the hard way. He wasn’t laughing, he was serious, all the time. But he little bro’d me though…Lil bro, ‘You should do that. Think about this.”

Russell got to share the court with Kobe during his twilight years in the league. Having already won five NBA championships and numerous accolades along the way, Kobe had cemented his name in NBA legend.

And yet, he was always serious and always locked in. Instead of easing up in his last few years in the league, Bryant was still competing at a high level. D-Lo even implied that even getting drafted by the Lakers at the time was like joining a championship squad.

Russell also went on to mention how Bryant was just trying to impart his knowledge to the next generation. But being young, dumb, and naïve, it took years for D-Lo to understand what Bryant was saying back then. But he did point out how Bryant’s advice helped him in his fourth and fifth years in the league. 

And now, he is among only a handful of players who are still active in the league that can boast about the fact that they shared the court with The Black Mamba.