Danielle Lerner

The Courier-Journal

While in Louisville for the Kentuckiana Pro-Am tournament Friday night, Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell commented on the new Foot Locker commercial he stars in alongside former Kentucky standouts and current NBA players Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker, as well as 2016 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons.

In the advertisement, Russell throws Simmons' phone in the ocean as a response to Simmons' plea for advice. It is a reference to the trouble Russell found himself in last season after a video he recorded on his phone of Lakers teammate Nick Young was leaked.

Many saw the ad as Russell poking fun at the incident, but the guard said that isn't so.

"Honestly, it wasn't my intention to be funny," he said. "It was more about getting my point across as far as coming into this league a phone will get you in trouble. Throughout the season I got in trouble using my cell phone. I made a statement admitting that I recorded a video and it got out. Not sure how it got out, but I made it clear that it wasn't me that the video came from. I just made my statement and it's something I can learn from."

Russell leaves Louisville on Sunday to get ready for the NBA Summer League, and he made it clear that he's ready to focus on his game rather than his phone troubles.

"I've grown a lot," Russell said. "It's past me. I can't go back; I can't do nothing. The damage has been done. I take the heat every day from it but that's the only thing they can do is fuel me. I know my city (of Louisville) has my back. I know my inner circle has my back. I can't do nothing but learn from it."