D’Angelo Russell Getting Embarrassed by Chinese Fan Sends NBA Twitter into a Frenzy: “Playing in his future city”

Brooklyn Nets star guard D'Angelo Russell is now a free agent and will be looking to field options to sign for next season.

D’Angelo Russell Getting Embarrassed by Chinese Fan Sends NBA Twitter into a Frenzy: “Playing in his future city”

Chinese fan embarrasses D'Angelo Russell on 3 straight possessions (Image via FirstSportz)

D’Angelo Russell was once part of the Los Angeles Lakers rotation that was tipped to battle for the NBA title. Now, as part of the Brooklyn Nets, he is looking to re-establish his reputation as one of the better scorers in the league.

He seems to have done a similar job as he did during his time with the Lakers this past season. But those numbers are way down from how he performed up until the 2023-24 season. The 29-year-old has had a major down year and will hope it does not impact his next contract.

The Kentucky native might face a situation where his next contract average drops from the $18 million he was earning this season. But he has ensured he has an additional source of income, in the form of a signature shoe.

This week, he was in China to promote the shoe. Whenever an NBA superstar arrives in China for such promotional events, fans crowd at the locations, knowing they are about to meet some of the best basketball players in the world.

The same happened with Russell, as fans followed wherever he went, even though they could not understand a word he said. One event, though, was typical of any basketball player promoting their apparel in any country, a one-on-one game of basketball.

In a clip shared by Overtime, D’Angelo Russell is seen playing 1v1 against a Chinese fan. On his first drive, the fan was defending him closely, and the NBA star used his shoulder to push the fan out of his lane. NBA players use this tactic while driving to the rim, but in this case, even with the fan nowhere near him, the free agent star missed the layup.

Fans lose their minds watching D’Angelo Russell struggle against Chinese fan

That miss meant the ball would go to the Chinese fan. With the ball in his hands, the fan jab stepped forward to force D’Angelo Russell to step back, and then, with space in front of him, launch a three that saw nothing but net. Seeing this happen, the Nets star decided to guard the fan closer.

The fan noticed this and performed a reverse spin to shift to his left, which again created space. Without hesitation, he again launched a three. When this went in, fans on the court rejoiced as one of their own had just embarrassed an NBA star on three straight possessions.

Fans back home watching this unfold were left shaking their heads. They could not believe that a random fan could embarrass an NBA star not once, not twice, but three straight times. Fans reacted to this clip with comments proving that they, too, were embarrassed to watch this.

D’Angelo Russell could argue that it was a ploy to get fans to believe that by wearing his shoes, they could be good players. However, fans know that Steph Curry did not have to do the same when he was in China. And Giannis Antetokounmpo only allowed a kid to break his ankles because he wanted the kid to believe he was getting better.

D’Angelo Russell might struggle to land a major contract this offseason

D’Angelo Russell should hope that his Way of Wade DLO1 sells well in China. He will need all the extra revenue to offset what he could be earning next season. The 29-year-old is now a free agent, and it is unknown if the Brooklyn Nets want him back next season.

D'Angelo Russell waiting to find suitors in the NBA
D’Angelo Russell waiting to find suitors in the NBA (Image via Open Source/X)

If they do not make a move on him, he might be staring at a situation where he only gets offers where he is no longer a starter. That would lower his salary from the current $18 million to about $15 or so. He is still a capable scorer, so he could be useful for a contender.

But one of the reasons the Lakers let him go was his inconsistency. He had his moments when it seemed as if no one could stop him. But a contending team needs that on a consistent basis, which he failed to deliver. Hopefully, he can convince his next team that he can contribute.

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