Having played with some of the greats in the league, one is bound to pick something or the other up from their game. It could be something as simple as a basic training regime or something as vital as perfecting a signature move to add to your bag. Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell is one such star who has played with some big names like Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Recently on a show, D-Lo revealed what he picked up while playing with Stephen Curry.
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Making an appearance on The Backyard Podcast, D’Angelo Russell was asked about the things he picked up while playing alongside Stephen Curry during his time with the Golden State Warriors.
Right away, the Lakers star credited Curry’s confidence as a shooter which translated into a D-Lo getting one as well. The All-Star point guard went on to mention how Stephen Curry would constantly allow his fans’ praises to rain inside his head.
So, when Steph is constantly hearing how good of a shooter he is, he carries that aura onto the court with him. With all the positive reaffirmation of how he could sink an impossible shot going inside his head, Curry is never afraid to pull the trigger, be it from any spot on the court during the game.
“So, when I got around him, we used to work out and I would shoot and he would shoot. I would shoot with him sometimes and we would be able to compete. And that’s all I needed to know, that I can compete with you. I wore that everywhere I went that I could shoot with Steph.”
It is interesting how Stephen Curry’s confidence helped D’Angelo Russell loosen up on the court to play more of his style, rather than someone else’s. There may be a handful of players in the league who could go toe-to-toe with the 4x champion in a shooting scrimmage.
But as DLo mentioned, he would often indulge in these mini-competitions of sorts with Curry during team practices and it ended up building the confidence that he is one of the few players who can shoot alongside The Chef. And knowing how Steph is regarded as the best shooter of all time, it automatically gave D-Lo’s game and his shooting a great boost ever since.
How did Stephen Curry help with D-Lo’s confidence?
Back in 2019, D’Angelo Russell had the opportunity to pick up a few things from arguably the greatest shooter in the history of the league. This was when D-Lo was traded to the Golden State Warriors. After working out with Stephen Curry and having a look at his training regiment, Russell gave a brief response while talking to USAToday.
“I’m doing a lot of spectating. I’m just seeing what I can learn from him from a distance. Then, I can come up with the correct questions and the correct demeanor on what I’m trying to learn versus nagging him about stuff.”
It wasn’t just Russell who was starstruck after seeing his idol but Stephen Curry had some words of encouragement from the young point guard at the time as well.
“He(Russell) plays at his own pace and is willing to learn. He’s hungry to make that next step in his career.”
D-Angelo Russell is back to the team that drafted him and just had a 44-point night against the Bucks in LeBron James’ absence, finishing the night shooting an insane 9-12 clip from beyond the arc. So, as it turns out, playing with Stephen Curry sure does have its benefits.
