Kobe Bryant. Steve Nash. Stephen Curry. James Harden. Chris Paul. The player comparisons to D'Angelo Russell seemed to always have a new All-Star guard to measure him against. It's understandable that after the Los Angeles Lakers' worst finish in franchise history, fans and pundits are feverishly trying to envision which NBA star the team's highly touted second-overall pick will morph into. When asked how he deals with the infinite contrasts to Hall of Fame caliber guards, Russell was decisive about wanting to carve his own identity.
"I'm not those guys. They made their own stamp in this league," Russell responded during his media day interview with Time Warner Cable SportsNet's Chris McGee and James Worthy.