Looks like the
Los Angeles Lakers have dug themselves into a deeper hole—and this time, it’s
not performance related. In the past week, a video taken by D’Angelo Russel has
surfaced publically, and to the team and public’s dismay, this video contained
personal information that shames the character of not only the players involved
in the video, but the team as a whole.
The video shows Lakers shooting
guard Nick Young confessing to acts of infidelity with a much younger woman. As
if this information isn’t cringe-worthy enough, Young had proposed to
Australian rapper, Iggy Azalea last June and the two have been engaged since. Not
to cut Young any slack for cheating on his fiancé of almost a year, but to
highlight Russel’s shady actions, it is important to know that Young was
unaware that he was being filmed when he admitted to being unfaithful. In fact,
ESPN reports that after Young had shared all of this information, Russel
replied, “I’m glad you told my video all that,” in which Young replied, “Huh?”
in confusion.
This crisis is unacceptable on a
variety of levels. To begin with the obvious, nothing good can come out of
cheating. If we’re thinking in terms of common sense, whether it’s someone your
dating, a fiancé, or a spouse, it’s best to leave the relationship before you
commit, even if just physically, to another. And to think (presumably) that
Azalea found out from a public Snapchat video that she was being cheated on is
absolutely heartbreaking.
Aside from the information that was
leaked, the way it was exposed is equally as upsetting. It baffles me to think
that Russel would 1) find entertainment in secretly capturing very personal
information, 2) think it’s acceptable to betray and friend and teammate, and 3)
not think twice about how posting a video with that content could result in
backlash from a multitude of people. Russel allegedly thought that he was
posting to a private account, however, he should know that as a professional
athlete, constantly watched by the public eye, there are very few things he can
do that go unnoticed.
Lastly, Russel’s mistake can’t
easily be forgotten because it not only driven him and Young into crisis mode,
but his whole team. His actions have violated the trust that a team should feel
confident in sharing with their teammates. His violation has reportedly already
effected the dynamic of the team off of the court, and that dynamic could
certainly be transferred on to the court, as well.
At least I’m a Warriors fan.
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