D'Angelo Russell on backlash from T-Mac tweet: 'Some Laker fans are spoiled'
The notion that anyone in his or her right mind could hold an NBA player in higher regard than Kobe Bryant doesn't sit well with die-hard fans of the Los Angeles Lakers.
That explains why Lakers rookie D'Angelo Russell received such a negative reaction from supporters of his new team, following his tweet earlier this month suggesting that former NBAer Tracy McGrady may have been the greatest player ever.
"There's a lot of spoiled Lakers fans. I wasn't downgrading Kobe at all," Russell said Saturday, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
"I was just watching a highlight tape of Tracy McGrady and I got excited. I tweeted and the whole state of California went crazy."
"The Black Mamba" himself was made aware of his new teammate's point of view, responding sarcastically on Twitter before assuring the 19-year-old that the Lakers will "shock the world" in 2015-16.
Lakers fans may be a little on edge after the worst season in franchise history, which saw the team go 21-61 as Bryant suited up for just 35 games due to injury.
The numbers clearly favor Bryant in a head-to-head comparison against McGrady, though that shouldn't downplay what the former seven-time All-Star accomplished during his 15-year NBA run.
| Statistics (Per Game) | Bryant | McGrady |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,280 | 938 |
| Points | 25.4 | 19.6 |
| FG% | 45.1 | 43.5 |
| 3P% | 33.4 | 33.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Assists | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| PER | 23.2 | 22.1 |
(courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)
McGrady officially retired as an active competitor in the NBA during an episode of ESPN's "First Take" on Aug. 26, 2013. The 36-year-old played his best basketball with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, leading the league in scoring on two occasions (2002-03, 2003-04).