?Sixth Man of the Year? Unsure About Former All-Star?s Impact Off the Bench, 7x Champion Makes Bold Claim on Current Lakers Lineup

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of, if not the best team, to have ever existed in the NBA. Founded in 1947, the team has since gone on to win 17 championships as they stay tied at the top for most titles with the Boston Celtics. From Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, all made their name in the NBA while representing the Lakers.

Last winning a championship in 2020, the purple and gold have struggled in the past few years. Losing to eventual champions Denver Nuggets in the WCF last season, the team is in dire need of a rebuild. The Lakers seem to be building a different project this time around. One former player weighed his opinions on this matter recently, as he believed few players could still want out. Believing that a former all-star could be unhappy with his role this season, the 7x NBA champion had quite the solution.

7x NBA champion makes bold claim on current Lakers star

During a recent episode of the ‘Big Shot Bob’ podcast, NBA icon Robert Horry discussed in detail his former team and their current roster. Having recently acquired Gabe Vincent from Miami during free agency, there have been whispers floating around that the Nigerian could dethrone former all-star D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers starting lineup.

Dismissing those claims, the 7x NBA champion stated, “I don’t think that’s happening.” Explaining his reasons, the forward believed that D’Angelo should start as he had done so last season.

Continuing to lay down his argument, Horry felt that Russel was not an “off the bench” kind of player, as he retorted. “Think about it, even when he came back from injury and someone in front of him was playing better,?he still got the starting role“.

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Former NBA champion unsure of all-stars impact from the bench

Although Big Shot Rob’s comments on Russell made sense, he offered an alternate perspective that could entice the former all-star. Speaking of a bench role, the 7x NBA champion stated, “If he comes off the bench, I hate to say it, but you might lose him, mentally.”

Elaborating his point, the former Laker believed that D-loading was too good a talent to waste on the bench. Providing an alternative perspective, the forward believed that D-lo would only stay on the bench if given an incentive.

Talking about what could entice the guard to choose the bench, Robert stated. “He is too much of a talent to have him come off the bench unless he says ‘Imma be the sixth man of the year.'”?Having recorded his worst average in 7 years, is it time for D’Angelo Russell to come off the bench?

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