Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith has lambasted Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell for his behavior during Game 3 of the first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, stating that LeBron James doesn’t deserve a teammate like him.
Smith’s scathing remarks came after Russell went scoreless in the pivotal matchup and was seen sitting apart from the team huddle, seemingly consuming snacks late in the fourth quarter.
Expressing his disappointment, Smith condemned Russell’s actions as a disgrace to the Lakers organization and questioned his commitment to the team’s success.
“LeBron James doesn’t deserve a teammate like that… It’s hard to look at this brother,” Smith remarked during an episode of ESPN’s First Take, highlighting Russell’s lackluster performance and questionable conduct on the court.
“D’Angelo Russell. What a disgrace and embarrassment… It’s hard to look at this brother,” Smith went on a rant during an episode of ESPN’s First Take. “This brother showed up in a game as a starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers wearing purple and gold. This is probably the most storied franchise in basketball annals and did a donut… that’s disgraceful.
“That’s the same dude that averaged six points from 32% shooting and 13% shooting from three-point range last year in the Western Conference Finals. You’re in the midst of losing 12 straight. You’ve lost 11 straight now. LeBron James has played in ten of those losses. They’ve lost 11 straight to the Denver Nuggets. It’s going to be 12. Denver snatched their heart.
“And I feel bad for LeBron James and Anthony Davis because together they’re averaging 58.7 points on 59% shooting from the field this series. The rest of the Lakers 43.7 points on 39% shooting. Austin Reaves he showed us he had a post yesterday. He hadn’t done much before yesterday.
“D’Angelo Russell didn’t show up in Game 1, showed up in Game 2, but not when it counted after you had 20-point lead and you let that deteriorate. And then last night you embarrass yourself in from of the Laker fans, purple and gold at the crypto.com Arena. An absolute disgrace.
“And this is the same dude that you remember they lost to Sacramento in the regular season and he wasn’t aware of what was at stake with the seedings and everything like that. You’re saying you’re fighting for a play-in spot or what have you. Never know, you might have been able to avoid the Denver Nuggets had you paid attention, had you been on top of it.
“LeBron James doesn’t deserve a teammate like that. That’s somebody like that that’s not that prioritized, that’s not hat focused, get rid of him, get rid of him. It’s a privilege to be in L.A.”
In Game 3, the Lakers suffered a 112-105 defeat against the Nuggets, pushing them to the brink of elimination in the playoffs.
Despite standout performances from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers failed to overcome the Nuggets’ dominance, trailing 0-3 in the series.
While the Lakers’ star duo of James and Davis delivered commendable performances, the team struggled with inconsistent support from role players like D’Angelo Russell.
