EL SEGUNDO – Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team, it was announced today. Russell is the second consecutive Laker to be honored with an All-Rookie team selection, joining Jordan Clarkson who was selected to the First Team last season, and is the fourth Laker in team history (Kobe Bryant and Travis Knight in 1996-97 and Nick Van Exel in 1993-94) to be awarded Second Team honors.
The second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft played in 80 games (48 starts) in 2015-16, averaging 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.16 steals in 28.2 minutes per game. He finished the year ranked 4thamong rookies in assists and steals, and 5th in points and three-point field goal percentage, and was one of 10 American rookie and sophomore players selected by the league’s assistant coaches to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star 2016.
The 20-year-old became the youngest player in NBA history to make 120+ three-pointers in a single season, as well as the youngest player in NBA history to make eight three-pointers in a game March 1 vs. Brooklyn (20 years and seven days old). The eight triples was the franchise record for a rookie. Russell is one of only 20 rookies in NBA history to make 120 triples in a season and finished the season tied for 15th all-time among rookies in most three-pointers made in a season (130).
The Louisville, KY native scored 20+ points 13 times and 30+ points twice, including a career-high 39 point performance in the March 1 contest against the Nets, the most points scored by a Lakers rookie since Elgin Baylor scored 39 on 3/11/59.
