Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley revealed that getting crossed up by Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell may be the most embarrassing moment of his NBA career.
“I’ve gotten crossed a few times,” Conley said. “It might’ve happened last year when D’Angelo Russell made me fall when we were playing in Minnesota. That was a tough one.”
Russell actually crossed Conley when he was a member of the Timberwolves and Conley was still with the Utah Jazz.
The two players were then a part of a three-team deal that sent Conley to Minnesota, Russell to the Lakers and Russell Westbrook to the Jazz at last season’s trade deadline. The Lakers also acquired Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in that trade.
Russell is one of the smoothest ball-handlers in the NBA, and he showcased that on the lethal step-back move against Conley. The Lakers brought Russell back to the team in free agency this offseason, signing him to a two-year deal (the second season is a player option).
During the 2022-23 season, Russell averaged 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc while playing for the Lakers and Timberwolves.
While getting crossed by Russell was a low moment for Conley, he’s had an extremely impressive career.
The veteran guard was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies and has made an All-Star team in his career.
A steady point guard, Conley has played in the NBA since the 2007-08 season and is still a valuable player for the Timberwolves. He was brought in to help take Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns to new heights in Minnesota.
For his career, Conley averages 14.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from 3-point range.
Almost all NBA players have been on the wrong side of a highlight in their careers, but Conley certainly has plenty of highlights of his own to offset the move by Russell.
The two lefty guards should match up against each other in the 2023-24 season, and it will be fun to see if Conley tries to get revenge on Russell for his nifty crossover move.
