NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

December 8, 2023

D'Angelo Russell

Los Angeles Lakers

Championship Practice Day

Q. Hey, D'Lo, the winner gets $500K. If you had to spend your $500K on one thing, shoes, land, whatever, what would you spend it on?

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: I'd spend it on vacation. I don't think I'd spend it on a car or something like that. Yeah, I'd spend it on vacation. Bring the whole family, friends, family, their friends, family, their friends, family. I'd do that. I'd do it right for sure.

Q. As a point guard yourself, when you hear of a point guard who is doing things, he's making a habit of having these big games statistically, zero turnovers, what do you think about that? What does that say about somebody's skills or focus that they can get through big games --

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: Who are we talking about?

Q. Haliburton. He's done things that haven't been done in terms of 25 points, 15 assists, and no turnovers.

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: Yeah, no, he's the head of the snake. He's leading that team. They're playing really well. Well-coached, as well. I don't know what you want me to say, but everybody sees it. They're official. Good team.

Q. Is there a particular key to not turning the ball over? Do you have to be less aggressive and more cautious? Can you let it fly?

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: You're talking about from his perspective? I mean, I think as a point guard, you've got to be a risk taker, too. So, for him to have the system around him and be able to dissect the game every night with the system around him and lead guys to an assist is one dribble, no dribble score.

Put guys in that position where they don't have to dribble as much, it keeps the game simplified. Then you put a system around it, at least the result is winning.

Q. D'Angelo, you guys are 23 games into the season and 6-0 in the In-Season Tournament and 7-3 in the last 10 games. Is this starting to feel like the type of team that you guys looked like from February through May last year?

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: No, I mean, I think I'll continue to say it, we're still figuring it out. I mean, you can say it's scary that we're taking care of business and we're getting wins and the results and guys are playing really well.

But I still think we're figuring it out. We're just now getting Vando back, and he's a huge key, and we're still trying to figure out what our identity is.

We have guys that show up every night and make it happen, but as far as our whole team utilizing it, it's going to be a collective group effort every night, and anybody can do it.

Q. One more on Haliburton for you. At one stage of your career, you were a lottery pick playing a similar position with the franchise counting on you to maybe be that player, and now you're back with the same franchise in a high elevated role player role. Do you ever look at a guy like him and wonder -- maybe not even wonder, just relate to what he's being asked to do at a young age from his franchise?

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: Yeah, yeah, great question. I think that just goes to show where you get drafted matters. System matters. Where he got drafted, he wasn't able to do that, and change of scenery helped him and allowed him to become who he is. I'm a big fan of system and where you're drafted matters.

Q. D'Angelo, if I remember correctly, you played two games in the NCAA Tournament at Ohio State --

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: Yeah.

Q. Just the feel of single elimination, probably the same thing like in the Big Ten Tournament. What does that element bring to something like this and the difficulty of surviving and advancing when you don't -- an opponent doesn't have to beat you four times like in the last playoff series?

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: It just brings the intensity up. Like I said, it's like a cheat code having this environment, having this field, having this publicity so early in the season. Getting that now, it's almost like being a rookie at it, then when June comes it feels like you've been there. There's familiarity in it.

To answer your question, I definitely think it's a big win for us to be able to do this.

Q. It's hard to win, and this will go in history and as things build. A franchise will have won one or not won any. Does that settle in even though you're trying to play one game at a time?

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: It's a big deal right now, right? It's good for the NBA. Just to be a part of it, obviously much appreciated. Just to be first, though, is cool, too, in its own way. I don't know what we get. Is there a trophy or ring? I don't know. You get a medal? Yeah, that's cool. I appreciate that.

Q. Obviously being in the league, there's so many games played, just to deal with the ups and downs and everything. What have you found that's helped you through the inconsistencies to find consistency?

D'ANGELO RUSSELL: I mean, when you say inconsistent, I think it's just -- I'm in different situations. For me, I've been on different teams, so my role may be different, and when you compare numbers and stats to situation and system, it's hard to compare that when you take that into consideration. That's how I view consistency and things like that.

But being healthy and having the proper approach to the game has allowed me to be consistent, a consistent approach. My sleeping habits, my eating habits, my recovery, my training habits. All that goes into it.

I've had my best season in the NBA when I hired a chef and I got the proper sleep, things like that. That's all I needed to see to know to continue up with that, know that that matters.