LOS ANGELES – Just as he started to fall asleep, any hopes D’Angelo Russell had of pleasant dreams quickly evaporated. Russell’s close friend woke him up late at night with an urgent message.

“Bro, you see this stuff?” Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker asked Russell.

Russell then learned a video he recorded on his phone leaked on social media. The video showed teammate Nick Young admitting to infidelities.

“I know the truth,” Russell recalled thinking about the incident nearly nine months ago. “I can’t do anything about it.”

Russell still did some things. He apologized to Young and his teammates, and the pair has since reconciled. Russell publicly expressed remorse. And in a self-deprecating Foot Locker commercial he later filmed with several young NBA stars including Booker, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Russell threw Simmons’ phone into the ocean as his “advice” to the incoming NBA rookie.

“It’s good if you’re able to laugh at your mistakes,” Booker said. “A lot went on last year, but he still fought through it and is still grinding.”

Booker helped Russell nearly every step of the way, from the moment he informed his friend the video prank had gone viral and become tabloid fodder. Beyond the commercial shoot, the two vacationed together with mutual friends and family in Mexico during the offseason and comforted each other through the highs and lows of their rookie seasons.

Russell is scheduled to sit out when the Lakers (10-14) play host to the Suns (6-16) on Friday at Staples Center, still nursing a sore knee that has sidelined him for 11 of the last 12 games.

“He was positive,” Russell said of Booker. “He was there. He had my back through it all.”

Their friendship traces back to when they first met at the Nike Elite 100 Camp in 2011, an event that featured some of the top high school prospects in the country. The two formed what Booker called a “competitive friendship.”

“We have the same mindset when it comes to the floor. It’s important to have friends to be on the same mission as you are,” Booker said. “We always have something to prove.”

When they played together at the Nike Elite 100 camp, Russell and Booker sought to dominate every game. When they played against each other, they were intent on matching up to see how their skills and familiarity played out.

Russell and Booker ascended the mock draft boards during their freshman seasons at Ohio State and Kentucky, respectively. The Lakers selected Russell at No. 2 overall in the 2015 draft and the Suns drafted Booker with the 13th pick, and the relationship remains strong. They routinely share observations on opponents.

When the Lakers and Suns meet, the pair concede engaging in friendly trash talk. According to Basketball Reference, Booker has bragging rights over Russell in points (20.2, 10.8), shooting (43 percent, 28 percent), assists (4.4, 3.8) and minutes played (29.2, 25.8) through five head-to-head games.

“That’s why we click so much,” Russell said. “We’ve been the underdogs before and we’ve worked to get to where we’re at now. We’re still underdogs. We’re always competing against each other for what we’re trying to get.”

As they discovered during their rookie seasons, things don’t always go the way you want.

Former Lakers coach Byron Scott took away Russell’s starting position 20 games into the season amid concerns about the team’s sluggish start, his consistency, attitude and work habits. Russell endured pressure to perform as a No. 2 pick, while accommodating Kobe Bryant’s dominating presence. After reclaiming his starting spot, Russell showed the kind of steady growth that later landed him on the NBA’s All-Rookie second team. Then, late in the season, the video of Young went public.

Through it all, Booker was “someone to talk to.”

“It made him mature faster,” Booker said of Russell’s adversities. “We’re still young in this league. It’s hard for us to realize we are NBA players and everything hits the Internet, especially here in L.A. for him. So it’s tough. I think he’s adjusted well and has matured a lot.”

Russell became the same sounding board for Booker.

Booker opened his rookie season as a reserve and averaged 6.5 points while shooting 50 percent in 14.7 minutes. Russell reminded his friend to stay patient. After he became a full-time starter in late December, Booker averaged 17.4 points and 3.5 assists in 34.1 minutes and made the All-Rookie first team.

“I knew when he would get his opportunity, he would take advantage of it,” Russell said of Booker. “They needed somebody of his caliber on that team. Every time he got his opportunity, he played really well. Then when they didn’t play him, he was a little frustrated.”

While they’ve overcome their rookie frustrations, neither player seems satisfied.

Booker is trying to dispel the perception that he’s just a shooter. He wants to prove last season’s effort was not a fluke driven by the minutes he inherited after Eric Bledsoe’s season-ending knee injury in late December. So far this season, Booker is averaging 19 points on 42 percent shooting in 32.9 minutes per game.

Russell feels more empowered thanks to Luke Walton’s coaching style and offensive system. Before his injury, Russell averaged 16.1 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 41 percent in 26.8 minutes. Once he returns to the lineup, he said he wants to continue to mature into a leader and a more complete player.

Through their respective journeys, they know they’ll keep motivating each other.

“If we keep that edge toward each other and always compete with each other …” Russell said, before trailing off. “At the end of the day when we look up, we’ll forget that we’re competing with just each other. We’ll be at the top of the pole.”

Contact the writer: mmedina@scng.com