Danny Ainge Rips D’Angelo Russell Amid Nick Young Saga: ‘That’s Really Bad’

As we’ve come to realize, there are a lot of layers to the D’Angelo Russell-Nick Young fiasco that’s dominated headlines over the last two days.

Yet regardless of whose side you take, plenty of blame still lies with Russell, who shouldn’t have been videotaping his private conversation with Young in the first place.

The Los Angeles Lakers rookie has taken his fair share of heat since the release of the video, which appears to capture Young talking about cheating on his fiancée, pop star Iggy Azalea. Yet even after he apologized Thursday, Russell’s reputation appears to be quite damaged.

In an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich” on Thursday morning, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he believed it would “take a long time” for Russell to earn back his teammates’ trust after what he did.

“I just don’t understand the motive. That’s just strange,” Ainge said, via CBSBoston.com. “I know D’Angelo is young. I don’t know the whole story. Anybody who records, videotapes private conversations and then leaks it out. … That’s one thing to record it and have it as a joke and say, ‘I’m holding this over you,’ but then to actually leak it out, that’s really bad. I don’t know how you overcome that.”

Ainge’s Celtics were floated out as a possible landing spot for Russell if L.A. decides to trade him, as a league executive told CSN New England’s Sherrod Blakely that Boston has enough assets to “pique the Lakers’ interest” with a trade package. But Ainge wasn’t exactly gushing with praise over the 20-year-old rookie.

“I just know what’s being reported, so I don’t want to comment too much on it,” he added. “But it’s a troubling situation. He’s a terrific young player, and I don’t know the answer what they will do. … He’s very young guy, and it’s an awful mistake and he’s owned up to it, and hopefully it can be overcome in time.”

Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vazquez/USA TODAY Sports Images