On May 8, Beijing time, Lakers guard Russell and his girlfriend Laura updated social media and posted today's itinerary. Russell took Laura on a helicopter ride to enjoy the beauty of Los Angeles and landed on the roof of the Lakers' arena. Russell chose this special place to celebrate Laura's birthday with Champagne.
This is Russell's first appearance since the Lakers were eliminated 4-1 by the Nuggets, and his style has changed significantly compared to that time - dyed blonde hair. In late April, Laura revealed on social media that she was 6 months pregnant and was about to give birth to a daughter for Russell. The two already had a son, and Russell also dressed him in the Lakers No. 1 jersey at his son's 1-year-old party.
This should be the second piece of news about Russell after the Lakers are out. Three days ago, NBA officials released a fine announcing that Russell had been fined $25,000 by the league for insulting game officials after a G5 game.
It's been a big summer for Russell, and he'll need to make new decisions about his future. He has one year left on his contract with the Lakers, and this year is a player option worth $18.69 million. If Russell declines to exercise the option, he will become a full free agent and can sign with any team, and if he exercises the option, he will continue to be a part of the Lakers, and the Lakers can choose to keep him or trade him as a bargaining chip. Many reporters expect Russell to jump out of his contract and become a free agent.
In the 2023-24 season, Russell averaged 18 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in the regular season, shooting 45.6% from the field and 41.5% from three-point range, and was in good shape, and in the playoffs, he averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, shooting 38.4% from the field and 31.8% from three-point range, which was obviously not as efficient as in the regular season.
This summer, the Lakers are likely to chase a third star other than James, with Mitchell, Trae Young, LaVine and others all potential targets. Now it seems that whether Russell exercises the option or not, the chances of him leaving the Lakers are not small.
Russell's move to fly onto the roof of the Lakers arena with his girlfriend also caused heated discussions among fans. Some fans said that maybe he wanted to say goodbye to the Lakers.