Amid Kobe Bryant’s farewell, the Los Angeles Lakers have suffered a major loss, but also a major set back. Their crisis all goes back to their stellar point guard, D’Angelo Russell, sources tell ESPN.
Apparently, Russell has earned the distrust of some of his teammates, due to a private video that surfaced on the web of a conversation he and Nick Young were having. Reportedly, Young did not know he was being recorded.
The video was unearthed last week via Twitter, which shows Russell filming Young and asking him questions about being with other women. This comes as scandalous news, considering Young and rapper Iggy Azalea announced their engagement last June.
hmmm i see D Angelo Russell is trending… I actually liked his film. Thanks bro.
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) March 30, 2016
It’s still unclear how the video leaked, but its footage has caused a lot of tension inside the Lakers’ locker room. The animosity could have been the cause of their massive loss in Salt Lake City on Monday (Mar. 28), to the Utah Jazz by a whopping 48 points.
Russell doesn’t have much to say about the allegation, stating, “Nope, nothing to talk about,” while entering the team’s locker room in their training facility on Wednesday, according to ESPN.
The team’s coach, Byron Scott has also kept mum about the situation; stating he will let the team settle their differences on their own.
“I haven’t talked to him, won’t talk to him. That’s an internal matter that our guys will deal with,” Scott said. “The only thing that I’m disappointed about is that it got out. We’re a family, and we try to keep everything in house.”
One team insider said what happened was simply a joke that went very wrong. “This was a prank gone wrong and a mistake by [Russell], and he has to be held accountable, but I would hope he isn’t overly criticized for it.”
The video has allegedly been the talk of the locker room, and has spurred Russell to become isolated from the team. One source even said that at a recent breakfast, Russell was left sitting solo. When he went to sit down next to Lou Williams, he walked away.
In the video, Russell questions Young about his age in reference to a young woman he met at a nightclub, saying, “You was 30 and she was 19?”
“What about Amber Rose?” Russell also asked, and Young was heard replying: “No, she knows my girl.” Later in the video, Russell is heard telling Young, “I’m glad you told my video all that.” After that, Young replies, “huh?”
This isn’t the first time, however, Russell’s maturity and credibility have been questioned.
“He’s such a kid,” Scott said back in February. “I told him the other day, ‘You’re 19, but sometimes I think you’re 14.'” Young hasn’t played in 10 games, and did not make it to Salt Lake City because of gastroenteritis. Further details for this story are still pending.
Watch the full news segment about the situation by ESPN here.