It seems like the 2014-15 season was long ago. It was painful to watch, but after the Lakers drafted D’Angelo Russell with the second overall pick, next season promises to be better.
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Russell, along with Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown were introduced as the newest members of the Los Angeles Lakers. They finally got their hands on the legendary golden jersey with their names on the back.
The media got an opportunity to ask all the rookies several questions and they were all articulate and responded well. Russell spoke about his talents and you could tell this kid is confident. According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Russell felt he was the best player in the NBA Draft:
Russell: "I consider myself the best basketball player in the draft."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 29, 2015
Karl-Anthony Towns had been the consensus number one pick for quite some time, but that didn’t stop Russell from believing he was the best player in this draft. You have to love Russell’s confidence, that’s the type of attitude that you need going into this league.
Kobe Bryant came into the league as a 17-year-old kid, but he was gushing with confidence, which is why he was seen as cocky. However, the best players in the league need to have that swagger in order to be successful. At the end of the day, it’s all about competition and Russell wants to work hard, but understands that he has the talent to be a great player.