Lakers: D’Angelo Russell’s Journey From Internet Meme to Team USA Select

In four brief years, Lakers’ up-and-coming star D’Angelo Russell went from internet meme to Team USA Select hopeful

For those of you unfamiliar, Lakers’ guard D’Angelo Russell’s initial claim to fame didn’t actually involve him playing basketball, rather his memorable reaction to Blake Griffin‘s hammer dunks at a Team USA summer practice that he attended.

In an instant, Russell was forever immortalized as the “He ain’t even stretch doe,” kid.

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From the jump, Russell has always been a self-proclaimed late bloomer who was constantly overlooked, seemingly more talked about for his behavior off court rather than on it and these days the story line remains the same — see Nick Young incident or his recent All Summer League roster snub for proof.

We can debate all day whether the criticism is warranted or not but Russell’s on court production seems to speak for itself.

Even before averaging 21.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal and a half a game during 2016 Summer League, his play was good enough to warrant an invitation to play for the USA Select Team this summer proving that the accolades, or lack thereof, and the criticism that ESPN spouts doesn’t seem to matter to those making the decisions regarding the Olympics.

Teammates Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram are also on the Select Team and the trio will look to provide highlight plays for campers watching the practices just like Russell four years prior.

Going without a player making an All-NBA team for the past three seasons, the Lakers should be encouraged by the idea that three of their young stars were “good enough” to play for Team USA this summer, even if only on the Select squad.

Next: D'Angelo Russell Snubbed Yet Again

Regardless of the media’s take on the Los Angeles Lakers, accolades received or not, the future for the Purple and Gold grows brighter by the day and you better bet that their youngsters are taking the names of those who kicked them when they were down.