D’Angelo Russell thinks D’Angelo Russell had a great season, humbly

After one of the best seasons of his career, D’Angelo Russell complimented D’Angelo Russell for his great season with the Lakers...humbly.

There is only one D’Angelo Russell, man.

For the second season in a row, D’Angelo Russell’s playoff performance left a sour taste in the mouths of Lakers fans and likely the franchise as well. While it wasn’t as disastrous as last year’s Western Conference Finals when he was benched by series end, Russell’s wild variance in ups and downs is pretty much the antithesis of an ideal player in the postseason.

That it came after arguably the best season of his career made it sting a little bit more. Still, given the entire scope of the season, it was a strong year for D’Angelo Russell. Just ask D’Angelo Russell himself.

“Hell of a year by D’Angelo. Humbly saying that,” D’Lo said during his exit interview. “Through the ups and downs, through all the whatever you want to call it, it never bothered me. Always kept myself sane. When I look at my phone, my family, my friends, my circle, texting me telling me how proud they are of me. For me, that’s all I need. I don’t need anything else.”

Objectively, any time an athlete refers to themselves in the third person, it’s funny, with very few exceptions. To say it immediately after that postseason performance is even wilder.

Now, that being said, D’Lo is right. It was a hell of year by him. He shot a career-best 41.5% from the 3-point line, became a legitimate contributor on a title-contending team and found his role in a talented starting lineup.

Like last season, he played a pivotal role in the team’s second-half push with some memorable performances. And in the play-in, he was arguably the best player in purple and gold.

But, ultimately, it’s the postseason that matters most and he struggled, again. He was a no-show in Game 1 and 3 and was only decent in Game 5. While he was great in Game 2 and 4, the Lakers need more than that.

So, while it might have been a great year, humbly, it wasn’t good enough. And it’s going to likely really change his future now, no matter how much leverage he has and whether it’s with the Lakers or another team.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.