A former Los Angeles Lakers point guard said he regretted playing alongside Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Talking on the Run Your Race podcast, D’Angelo Russell, a former No. 2 pick of the Lakers, expressed deep regret about playing for the Warriors, citing Curry’s insane workouts while the team was stretching before a game.
“The worst thing that I could have done was play for the Warriors, to see how Steph Curry prepares,” Russell said. “Are you kidding me, bro? His practices, he practices every shot. Off the ball, right hand, behind the back. Like, you’re warming up, he’s practicing half-court shots.”
D’Angelo Russell Opens Up On Time With The Golden State Warriors
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 25: Injured players D’Angelo Russell #0 (left) and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors react on the bench during their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chase Center on November 25, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Russell felt a bit disrespected to see Curry still on his individual pre-game workout while the rest of the team was already stretching together for the game.
“You think, as a team we’re warming up, why you dribbling? Why you got a ball? Why you chucking the ball at the rim?,” Russell recalled. “It looks crazy from the perception. But really, he shoots those shots in the game. This is a great time to practice. We’re all stretching, he’s going to get unlimited of them.”
However, Russell acknowledged that it is part of Curry’s continued grind for greatness.
“We’re stretching, getting loose, he’s chucking it from half court, he’s making them. So when he gets to half court with 0.3 left and he’s asking for it, and he makes it, it’s no surprise,” he said.
“The worst thing that I could have done was play for the Warriors, to see how Steph Curry prepares. Are you kidding me, bro? His
Russell had a brief, 33-game stint with the Warriors during the 2019-2020 NBA season, which many saw as a gap year during the team’s dynastic run, considering the injuries of Curry, and Klay Thompson during that time.
Russell joined the Warriors in July 2019 via a sign-and-trade deal from the Brooklyn Nets after Kevin Durant left for Brooklyn.
With Curry breaking his hand early in the season, Russell became the primary focal point of the Warriors’ offense
Russell put up his career-high 52 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 8, 2019.
Golden State traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in February 2020 in the package that brought Andrew Wiggins to the Bay Area.
Wiggins helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship.
Meanwhile, Russell played with the Timberwolves, Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
D’Angelo Russell Thinks Steph Curry Is An Artist
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 16: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors defends against the dribble of D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on March 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
D’Angelo Russell also lauded Steph Curry for treating the basketball court as a canvas.
“I got to see how free he was on the court. He really treated it like it was his canvas, and he was going to paint this picture today how he wanted to paint it. He might just splat paint, and that would look right today. He might just do a brush stroke, and that would be his thing today. Every day was something different,” Russell said in the same podcast.
Russell is currently under contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He joined the franchise following a massive six-team trade involving multiple NBA teams.
This acquisition came after he exercised a $6 million player option for the 2026-2027 season with the Washington Wizards, a team the Dallas Mavericks had previously traded him to, but he never suited up for.
Earlier reports indicated that both parties are actively working together to find the veteran guard a new home through a potential trade or contract buyout.
Ex-Lakers Guard Regrets Playing Alongside Steph Curry And The Warriors