Los Angeles Lakers star D’Angelo Russell appeared to enjoy himself in his postgame press conference Saturday as he wound up press staff by promoting his own drink.
The 27-year-old guard sat down for his media duties following his team’s 111-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3 of their playoff series and seemed to be in a jovial mood.
‘That drink, put it down,’ an NBA press staff member said to him.
He asked why, with the league employee saying: ‘Because it’s not one of our partners.’
“You’re gonna have to fine me. Coco5,”
Russell told her while plugging the drink.
The woman then approached and stood over the guard as he shook his head.
“You’re gonna have to take it,” the player told the woman and she obliged him by snatching the drink from the podium as members of the press laughed.
Russell, 27, then took questions despite obviously being thrown off-balance by the NBA employee. As the press conference concluded, he said “Coco5” several more times in defiance of the NBA.
As he left, the NBA player smiled and got his drink back, prompting more laughter from the press. He proudly held it high as he was ushered offstage.
The drink’s Twitter account loved the stunt, “…new flavor loading: ‘Fines Paid’”
The promotion by Russell turned out to be one of the best in the company’s history thanks to the NBA trying to cancel it. The video of the NBA player promoting the drink had been viewed more than 580,000 times as of Sunday night.
Russell is a partner in the sports drink company along with the Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, the Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, former basketball star Charles Barkley and others. Coco5 is owned by Loop Capital Markets founder James Reynolds.
The NBA has not decided whether the player will be fined yet for the promotion of a non-NBA partner.
