Lakers News: LA Starter, Trade Candidate Unpacks Instant Chemistry with LeBron James

He sure doesn't sound like he wants to be dealt elsewhere.

Apr 27, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks to referee Sean Corbin (33) during the second quarter in game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers starting point guard D'Angelo Russell has been a major name to watch on the trade market this summer.

But it sure sounds like he's relished his time logged alongside 20-time All-NBA combo forward LeBron James, to the point where he may not want to be flipped elsewhere.

In appearing on a new episode of Tidal League's "Run Your Race" podcast alongside hosts Theo Pinson and AJ Richardson, the 6-foot-3 Ohio State University alum broke down their instant on-court connection.

“So coming here last year when we came we clicked right away. I was like, ‘Dang, this is not what I expected.’ We was playing at a high level. Hot potato the ball, backdoor, no-look lob. That’s basketball. We were on the same page and we had no time to get there. We just did it. And I was like, ‘Damn.’ And then we went through adversity first time against Denver and that was like where teams were trapping him, blitzing me, denying this, making this and it was like we ain’t seen that all years so it was like whoa. We get swept, whatever. Then we go into this year, we had time to prep just like our core guys that we had. We weren’t healthy, but we had a good core from last year. We’re playing at such a high level again, bro and I’m just like in the midst of it I’m like, ‘Damn, we not winning. Damn, we trying to get this game. Damn we go to do do this. Dang we gotta win.’"

“Now looking back on it, I’m like, ‘Dang, bro.’ I was really hooping at a high level with this dude that dominates the game," Russell said. "If he came down and made a play every time people would be OK with that. And some people would probably be like, ‘Bro, he gotta pass the ball.’ It’s like, majority of people going to be like OK, they want to see that. So for a guy to be in that in the mix of it next to it, I understand y’all want to see him shoot that joint every time. But me, I’m like, ‘Bro, I can help you.’ So for him to allow me to help him and us to play at a high level and AD, all these dudes, shit was fun as hell. That -expletive- was so fun. We had so much fun.”

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