Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell broke one of the biggest unwritten rules in pro sports when video he recorded featuring teammate Nick Young talking about cheating on his fiancee Iggy Azalea made its way online.
Russell apologized profusely for the incident, admitting in a press conference he wasn’t sure how the video leaked, but that hasn’t stopped former pro athletes from publicly criticizing the 20-year-old for his part in the scandal.
Former Toronto Raptors center Antonio Davis told ESPN he wouldn’t want to play with Russell and thinks the situation is so bad he could be traded.
“If you’re on my team, we spend so much time together and we go through everything together, we’re more than just friends.” said Antonio Davis. “We’re like brothers because of everything we’ve gone through. So for your brother to do something like that and for it to end up on social media, that’s lower than low. It says so much about [Russell]. I think it might get so bad that he’s going to have to be traded. If I’m on that team, I’m not playing with him. It would literally be hard for me to sit in the locker room with him.”
Former Phoenix Suns guard Raja Bell told CBS Sports Russell can’t be trusted and has to go.
“You have to go,” Bell continued. “I say that emotionally right now. Give it some time maybe I change my mind. As Raja Bell, NBA player for 13 years, being a general manager, one of my youngins does that, you gotta go. Give me something else.”
Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding reports the Lakers aren’t quite ready to give up on Russell and won’t trade him over the scandal. Still, his actions have divided an already messy Lakers locker room.
Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday told ESPN if Russell was a football player, there may have been a physical altercation in the locker room.
“If this happened in an NFL locker room, I would be shocked if there wasn’t a physical altercation of some sort,” said ESPN NFL analyst Jeff Saturday, who played 13 seasons for the Colts and one for the Packers. “I definitely don’t agree with Young doing whatever he’s doing, but as a teammate and as a friend, my expectation is that you come to me first.”
It’s not just former pros who are shocked with Russell, as Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarret Jack tweeted out his disgust over Russell’s actions.
Damn d'angelo Russell smdh
— JARRETT JACK (@Jarrettjack03) March 30, 2016
Russell made a big mistake and it’s going to be tough for him to regain trust back from his teammates and from the basketball community. For now, he just needs to keep his head down, play some basketball and hope the controversy blows over.