Everybody assumes D'Angelo Russell is the heir apparent to being the next Los Angeles Lakers icon. He was drafted with the No. 2 selection last year and he has a pretty exciting skill set and feel for the game that could blossom into being a star in this league. And as we know, the Lakers love their stars. Their stars always seem to matter more than just about anybody else's stars. With Kobe Bryant's final season coming during Russell's rookie campaign, it's assumed the torch is being passed from one of the greatest players of all time to the next era of Lakers basketball.
Well, don't be so certain about that. According to Kobe, it's not really his torch to pass. In fact, torches don't just get passed from player to player. That's not how this thing works. Kobe doesn't believe the torch was passed from Michael Jordan to him just because he looked to be the next exciting player in the NBA. And it won't just be passed from Kobe to D'Angelo because it seems like a good connection. Russell will have to earn that torch, just like anybody else would. From ESPN.com:
"He didn't pass the torch," the Los Angeles Lakers icon said of his idol Sunday following the Lakers' 101-88 loss to the Washington Wizards at Staples Center. "Torches never get passed. You've got to earn that."
Bryant said he does not believe anyone on the Lakers' roster has earned the right to carry a torch that Bryant would relinquish after he retires this summer, ending his 20-season career.
"No," Bryant said. "If you have to ask that question, the answer is already there. Those are things you don't have to ask. Those things just happen."
This makes sense. Let's just pretend the Lakers were in the same situation they are now but the young player was Julius Randle and Shaquille O'Neal was on his farewell tour for the Lakers. Would we just assume that Randle is the next great Lakers' big man because he was getting to the organization at the same time Shaq was leaving? It's a convenient connection to make but it's a bit forced.
Russell has shown plenty of promise, especially over the last couple months. He has a lot of work to do on his game, but he has a certain quality about him on the court that leads to hope and excitement. But if he's not willing to put in the work and focus to be great in this league, it won't matter if Kobe anoints him as the next big thing for the Lakers. Russell will have to earn that, just as Kobe did. The Lakers have a long way to go to be respectable again. Russell can take them back to contending, but it's a long process.
You don't just get to handle that responsibility by default.
