D’Angelo Russell has never hidden where he comes from, and his latest comments shed light on how his upbringing shaped his mindset.
Speaking candidly on The Backyard Podcast, the Dallas Mavericks guard said, via HoopsHype: “I always say—I come from the slums. I come from where you cheat, steal, and kill. Like, being nice is not an option. So now, I’m around all these pure-ass people, and I’m just like, ‘How the f–k are you so nice right now?’”
Russell, 29, explained that his perspective was built from experiences where survival took priority over courtesy. “Like, how did you leave 100 bucks and you didn’t put it in your pocket? What? Like, if I find 100 bucks, I’m like, ‘Turn it in at the lobby’ now. But I didn’t grow up on that. I wasn’t like that. I was like, ‘What? 100 bucks?’” he continued.
He added that growth means redefining values. “At some point, you can’t feel like you’re faking stuff. Like, if you’re thinking that you want to be nice and you be nice, then that’s who you are. It’s not fake.”
Russell’s reflections come as he enters his first season with Dallas after signing a two-year, $13 million deal in July. The move followed a midseason trade that sent him back to the Brooklyn Nets for a brief stint before free agency.
The veteran guard has played for six franchises since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2015. He holds career averages of 17.3 points and 5.7 assists across 629 regular-season games.
Russell’s peak scoring year came in 2019–20 when he averaged 23.6 points per game with Golden State. He also earned his lone All-Star selection in 2019 during his breakout season with Brooklyn.
Despite ups and downs, Russell has carved out a role as a creative playmaker and secondary scorer. Last season, he split time between the Lakers and Nets, averaging 12.6 points and 5.2 assists.
In Dallas, he joins a roster built around Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving, though Irving is currently sidelined with an ACL injury. His ability to run the offense and space the floor could be key for head coach Jason Kidd as the Mavericks begin their 46th season.
