Los Angeles Lakers floor general D’Angelo Russell said he received helpful advice from LeBron James years ago on how to be a more consistent player.
“When he made it to the pros, Russell tracked down James’ contact info and reached out just before his lone All-Star season in 2018-19,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote.
Russell unveiled what James texted him.
“I was like, ‘Bro, how do you become more consistent of a player?'” Russell said. “He said, ‘I read. I sleep. I eat. My routine is on point.’ I still got the text. And honestly, he was the reason I developed a routine.”
The 28-year-old had one of the best seasons of his NBA career during the 2018-19 season, when he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets. He played in 81 games during the regular season and averaged 21.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from 3-point range.
Russell also helped lead the 2018-19 iteration of the Nets to a playoff berth, though the team lost in five games to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
Now in his second stint with the Lakers, Russell has served as a solid scoring threat for Los Angeles this season. He is averaging 18.0 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent shooting from deep across 61 games played.
He hasn’t scored fewer than 10 points in a single game since all the way back on Jan. 30, when he totaled nine points and five assists in a 16-point road loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Granted, he is fresh off a relatively forgettable scoring performance, as he dropped just 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field in an 11-point win over one of his former teams — the Minnesota Timberwolves — on March 10.
However, years after James gave Russell valuable advice over text, it seems like the advice is paying dividends for Russell’s productivity and consistency on the court. Hopefully, Russell’s play in recent months will translate to the playoffs if the Lakers are able to reach that stage.
Russell and the Lakers can extend their current winning streak to three games with a win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
