Brooklyn Nets guard D’Angelo Russell recently opened up about a unique childhood fear on The Backyard Podcast.. The former Los Angeles Lakers player, who was traded to Brooklyn a few days ago, shared a heartfelt story about how he once believed the world was on the verge of ending.
Russell recalled how his older brother would often share school lessons that sparked his anxiety. “I remember my brother would go to school, learn some sh*t, and come back scaring the sh*t out of me,” he said, via HoopsHype. His fear was amplified after watching the disaster film San Andreas, which depicted catastrophic earthquakes in California.
“The San Andreas movie came out, and I was just like, bro, this sh*t can happen, and we just can do nothing about it,” Russell continued. The combination of what he heard at home and school left him with a constant sense of unease as a young child.
In first or second grade, Russell’s worries boiled over into a tearful conversation with his grandmother. “I came home one day, and I was just crying to my granny,” he explained. “I was like, ‘They’re saying the world’s going to end, granny.’”
His grandmother’s response proved to be a calming force for the young Russell. “She said, ‘Don’t worry; there ain’t no expiration date on the world ending,’” Russell shared. “She kept saying that, and I was just like, ‘Dang, okay, that makes sense.’” The words of reassurance helped him manage his fears and find a sense of comfort.
