Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell recently made headlines with his words on a variety of different topics, which included some very honest comments about Darvin Ham’s relationship with Dennis Schroder.
Schroder recently took the time to respond to Russell’s comments, and it’s clear that the German guard didn’t appreciate them.
Dennis Schroder on D’Angelo Russell’s comments: “I don’t understand it. But at the end of the day, it just shows off immaturity. You’re not really mature if you’re just keeping somebody’s name in his mouth and just running it. I don’t understand.” #Nets #LAL #Lakers
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) March 15, 2024
Schroder spent the 2022-23 season with the Lakers, starting 50 games in the regular season and the team’s last game in the playoffs. The 30-year-old took Russell’s spot in the starting lineup for that contest.
“His relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin,” Russell told ESPN.
“When I was struggling, I would’ve been able to come to the coach and say, ‘Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it.
“And we got swept and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.”
It seems like there’s a bit of bad blood between the two guards. Back in January, they engaged in some trash-talk during a Lakers-Toronto Raptors game.
D’Angelo Russell To Dennis Schroder in January: “Stop Doing That Weak A** Sh*t”👀 https://t.co/8KceFNjdVs pic.twitter.com/ahNAg1L7hc
— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) March 13, 2024
Schroder is no longer with the Raptors, as he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets last month. Funnily enough, Spencer Dinwiddie (now on the Lakers) was involved in that trade.
Through 15 games with the Nets so far this season, Schroder is averaging 14.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 30.1 minutes per game. He’s also shooting 46.3 percent from the field and a blistering 47.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Fans wanting to see Schroder and Russell go at it head to head are in luck, as the Lakers and Nets are scheduled to play each other in Brooklyn on March 31.
Both teams are fighting for play-in spots in their respective conferences, so the contest already had high stakes before Russell’s and Schroder’s comments.
With both players playing key roles on their teams, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see them directly match up against one another.
Russell has been on a heater since getting reinserted into the starting lineup. He’s recording 21.9 points and 6.4 assists per game on 45.3 percent shooting from deep over his last 27 appearances. However, he fell flat in Los Angeles’ latest game, a 13-point road loss to the Sacramento Kings.
In that contest, the Ohio State University product only managed to score six points while making only two of his nine field-goal attempts.
There’s still over two weeks until the Lakers and Nets play, which means Los Angeles will be focused on its matchups that come before that.
Its next game is a big one: Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors, who are expected to have Stephen Curry back in the lineup.
