Former Lakers guard shares Kobe Bryant shutting down D'Angelo Russell's attempt to quash beef with Nick Young
Former LA Lakers teammates D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young were involved in a long-standing feud that played out in the team's locker room. In a recent appearance on the "Byron Scott's Fast Break Podcast," posted Tuesday on Legions Hoops on X, former Lakers guard Lou Williams shed light on the role Kobe Bryant played in attempting to resolve the issue.
According to Williams, Bryant intervened in a planned reconciliation meeting between Russell and Young, aimed at resolving the tension between them. Bryant reportedly told the team to put the drama aside and focus on their upcoming game.
“Kobe walks clean through the meeting and says, 'Hey man, cut all this Kumbaya sh**. We got a game to play,'” Williams recalled.
The highly publicized beef between Russel and Young marred the Purple and Gold's 2015-16 season. The controversy began when Russell, then a rookie, secretly recorded a video of Young discussing his infidelity with fiancée Iggy Azalea.
Russell posted the video on Snapchat, which quickly went viral and sparked a significant disturbance within the team's locker room. The resulting tension was so pronounced that it created a rift among teammates, with some players aligning themselves with Russell and others with Young.
Former Lakers guard Nick Young opens up on why he didn't get physical with D'Angelo Russell
Young appeared as a guest on the "Gil's Arena Show" on Nov. 11, discussing the 2016 incident involving him and former teammate Russell. Young explained that he chose not to retaliate physically against Russell, citing a warning from the Lakers organization to avoid taking action.
"F***ing Mitch Kupchak and them told me, don't come to the arena, don't come to practice, none of that," Nick Young said, adding, "If you do anything we gonna take your money."
Gilbert Arenas also questioned Young about whether he believed Russell intentionally leaked the video. Young initially expressed uncertainty but later reversed course, asserting that Russell must have deliberately released the footage.
Young ultimately ended his relationship with Iggy Azalea and never forgave D'Angelo Russell for his role in the breakup. Although the two have exchanged verbal barbs from afar, they have not engaged in a physical altercation.