EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) – The Los Angeles Lakers chose Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell with the second pick in the NBA draft on Thursday, bypassing big man Jahlil Okafor to grab the ball-handling guard with the potential for greatness.
The 6’5” native of Louisville led the Buckeyes in scoring, averaging 19.3 points per game; and in rebounding, pulling down 5.7 per game, while dishing out 5 assists in his only season in Columbus.
“I’m still in shock,” he said after the pick, calling it a dream come true.
“D’Angelo has worked extremely hard to achieve success on the basketball court. He is one of the most talented players we’ve had in our program. He makes everyone around him better with the way he sees the game,” head coach Thad Matta said.
This is the sixth time in the last nine drafts where a Buckeye was taken in the first round.
The Lakers had their highest draft choice since 1982 after going 21-61 during the 16-time champion franchise’s worst season. They’ve made just five previous top-two selections in their history, and four turned out to be Hall of Famers.
Los Angeles chose the dynamic guard over Okafor, the Duke big man considered the other top candidate behind top pick Karl-Anthony Towns.