No one could have written a perfect script. Last night, D’Angelo Russell returned to Los Angeles for the first time since his embarrassing trade-out. Donning the Brooklyn Nets’ jersey, the star guard joined the team that suffered a 59-point loss against the LA Clippers in their previous game. So, before the tip-off, the general talk was that the Lakers would have a cakewalk. In reality, it turned into a high-octane last-minute drama. Austin Reaves, who escaped the home court embarrassment, credited D’Lo for showing the ropes in the past.

The tension can be felt throughout the game. It wasn’t the usual regular season game in the Crypto.com Arena. Russell was on a mission. Despite coming off the bench, the star guard produced a team-high 19 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. On the other hand, LeBron James and Austin Reaves responded to DLo’s grit, posting 67 points together. Nevertheless, the former Laker still had the chance to take the game away with a buzzer-beater.

Unfortunately, the shot hit the rim, and the Lakers walked away with a 102-101 win. Speaking of the shot, Austin Reaves said, “Man, it looked good. Not good for us, but the ball looked good in the air,” at the post-game presser.

Reaves further added, “I’ve seen him make that shot a million times… fortunately it didn’t go.” It was truly a wholesome sight to witness the star still speak highly of his ex-teammate! Reaves didn’t end it there, though. He further went on to reveal an unknown side to his relationship with D’Angelo Russell that helped him in the long run.

“DLo really helped me with that when he got here… being drafted here being a young player he seen everything that you know I had been through where I was going through so when he got here he really taught me how to… grow and be better so I feel like that’s the main thing is just really you know continuing to grow as a leader,” Reaves shared, recounting his early days in the Lakers’ fold.

Looks like DLo has finally found some love in LA!

D’Angelo Russell and his strained relationship with Lakers’ locker room

Russell has had two stints with the Lakers and both didn’t end on a good note. The team included him in the roster as a rookie and it came to an end within two seasons. During that time, he had developed a beef with Nick Young after engaging personal off-court tussle.

While the star apologized for his mistake, it ultimately eroded his relationship with other rookies on the team. It went to an extent where several insiders reported that they began to isolate him.

During his second stretch, DLo barely had time to develop a relationship with his teammates. The star was constantly in a battle to secure a spot on the roster. 8 games into the current season, JJ Redick benched him, and 29 games into the season, he was traded out. It was truly a tough journey for the guard.

Nevertheless, despite the strained relationship, DLo managed to give his wisdom to Austin Reaves, who has now developed into a leader. Will AR go on to become the future of the Lakers? Let us know in the comments.