Since its inception, NBA 2K has profoundly connected basketball lovers. However, gamers occasionally face its downsides. One such instance involved D’Angelo Russell, who struggled after losing to Devin Booker in the video game. The Los Angeles Lakers guard let the outcome get to his head, leading to shortcomings on the NBA court.
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On The Backyard Podcast, the 28-year-old recently recalled those days from their 2015/16 rookie season. He admitted struggling to score in the video game while playing against D-Book ahead of their NBA matchups. Reflecting on this, Russell pointed out how this underwhelming display affected his on-court performance.
“Used to kick my a** is 2K. I would come to the crib before the game in our rookie years. He would play with the Phoenix [Suns]. I would play with the [Los Angeles] Lakers… I would go for like 2-17 on the video game and I would be thinking about that s**t all the way to the game. Then the game started, I go for 3-11, 3-12. It would translate. I’m like, ‘I’m done coming to your crib'”.
Even though Booker later mentioned that Russell only suffered from this a few times, it showcased the importance of mental preparation before an NBA game. Despite being a highly touted talent, the 2019 All-Star let his emotions get the better of him on these occasions. Consequently, the All-Star caliber opponents from that period punished the then-rookie for his lapse in focus.
However, over time, D-Lo undoubtedly improved at handling off-court setbacks. This growth, in turn, strengthened his bond with Booker as they continued to compete in various sports. Soon, their rivalry extended beyond video games like FIFA and Madden to later include ping-pong and pool matches.
This showcased a part of the evolution of their friendship. After all, their competitive natures seemed to have little to no effect on their decade-long bond.
Early years of D’Angelo Russell and Devin Booker’s friendship
Ahead of being drafted together in 2015, the duo first met during the NBA Top 100 camp. This later became the starting point of their friendship as Booker’s gameplay immediately earned Russell’s respect. Over time, they became fond of one another, extending this relationship beyond basketball. Reflecting on this journey during the show, D-Lo recalled,
“I was just like, bro, what’s your name type s**t bro. You cold, bro, what’s your name. I remember guarding each other and he just was going to dunk that. He was just polished, I was just a fan every camp. We found a way to be teammates, the older we got, we found a way to dominate s**t together”.
So, the mutual understanding and respect have remained intact through the ups and downs of their careers. Unfortunately, they have never been able to showcase this while representing the same franchise. However, the time for that has not run out yet, exciting fans about the possibilities.
