Nets point guard D'Angelo Russell played against his former team for the first time on Friday and admitted just a few hours prior to tip-off that he was irked by the comments Magic Johnson made about his lack of leadership.
Over the summer, the Lakers president explained why Los Angeles traded Russell to Brooklyn and then drafted Lonzo Ball, saying the team "needed a leader" and someone who "can make the other players better."
Before the Nets fell to the Lakers 124-122, Russell addressed the comment for the first time and said Johnson "ruffled a few feathers."
"You control what you can control. He's in a position to say what he wants, so I just try to do what I can do at the end of the day," Russell said, per ESPN.com. "I went through a lot when I was (in LA). It's nothing I could really control. It was out of my hands by that point."
Russell said he is happy to have a fresh start in Brooklyn and is glad to still be playing in the NBA. The change certainly appears to be positive for the point guard, who has scored 29 or more points three times this season while averaging 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
"No matter what you've been through or what's going on ahead, a fresh start's always good," Russell said. "It's a new opportunity, and just to be in the league in general no matter what team you're on you still want to be in the league. You see guys come and go every year. Just to be in the league is a pleasure."
