Suns guard Devin Booker and Lakers guard D’Angelo have been friends since they were kids, so a certain gesture can mean a lot.
During the offseason, Russell has gone back to where he hails from in Louisville, Kentucky to host his own basketball camp.
He called it Camp DLo and special guests included Pacers forward Obi Topin and Rockets small forward Jae’Sean Tate, as well as Book.
Russell spoke about the gesture of his long time friends coming along to the camp during their time off and what it meant.
“I mean, I don’t cry a lot, but this is something that I cry about,” Russell told Kent Spencer of WHAS11 radio. “Just having the support from guys that I’ve crossed paths with over the years and them supporting me. This is the biggest thing you can do for me by showing up to my camp.”
Booker was also asked about his relationship with DLo and said how they’re going to be friends forever.
“[We’ve known each other] since the seventh or eighth grade,” Booker said. “Camps, camp ball, we used to trade out our gear, helped each other out and always kept in contact. So it’s a relationship that is going to be forever… We have been going at it for a very long time.”
The pair were both part of the 2015 draft class and played in the Rising Stars game together that year.
Book is coming off the back of an outstanding season, where he approached Michael Jordan territory.
In the first eights games of the postseason, he scored 295 total points – the most in the first eight games of the playoffs since Michael Jordan (325 points in 1990).
Where as Russell be will be looking to improve on his shooting after his form dipped in the backend of the season, particularly in the postseason.
DLo may even have to fight for a starting spot on the Lakers roster, since they signed Miami guard Gabe Vincent.
No doubt they are both dynamic scorers on and off the basketball and will be chasing a chip with their respective teams, who have both upgraded their rosters this offseason.