D’Angelo Russell just established a new Los Angeles Lakers record for 3-pointers made in one season, and Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade took to social media to post his reaction to the achievement.
On Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers, Russell made his 184th 3-pointer of the season to surpass the Lakers record set by Nick Van Exel during the 1994-95 season. Russell finished the game with four 3-pointers and now has 187 this season with 12 games left to add to his new mark.
“It just feels good to be part of one of these type of deals,” Russell said. “This franchise is one of the most prestigious, so to have my name be a part of it, more than grateful. Just continue to shatter it, if I can. Make it really hard for the next person.”
Earlier this week, he spoke positively about his relationship with Lakers head coach Darvin Ham after a report surfaced that detailed some past struggles between them. The discord reportedly was in part because of the way Ham may have favored Dennis Schroder over Russell when determining playing time. Schroder signed with the Toronto Raptors as a free agent this past offseason.
The 28-year-old Russell is in his second stint with the Lakers after playing his first two NBA seasons with them, when he made 130 and 135 3-pointers, respectively. His career-high is 234 3-pointers made, set with the Brooklyn Nets in the 2018-19 campaign.
Russell is shooting a career-high 42.3 percent from 3-point range this season, exceeding his overall career mark of 36.9 percent. He made a season-high nine 3-pointers in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month.
The victory against the 76ers on Friday was the Lakers’ second win in a row after two straight losses. Los Angeles will play its final home game of this month on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. It will then embark on a six-game road trip.
The Lakers still have an outside chance of climbing up to sixth place in the Western Conference to avoid having to compete in the play-in round for a second straight season. They are in ninth place, three games behind the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks, and are in a tight race for positioning with the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings heading down the stretch.
Russell undoubtedly would like another shot at the playoffs after his playing time diminished in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, when the Lakers were swept by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
