They say that inspiration comes from all sorts of places. For example, Pokémon started when Satoshi Tajiri, one of its creators, loved catching insects as a child. The Legend of Zelda was also inspired by the childhood home of Shigeru Miyamoto in Sonobe, Japan. While video games have taken inspiration from real life for years, the inverse is also true. Case in point, D'Angelo Russell and his unusual playstyle.
Ever since the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers drafted him in 2015 as the No. 2 Overall Pick, Russell has stood out for two things: starting a meme with his "ice in my veins" celebration and his unique, herky-jerky movements.
Averaging 17.7 points, 6.4 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 56 games this season, you'd think Russell was one of the better athletes whenever he's on the court but he isn't. Instead, the one-time NBA All-Star uses movements that, according to him, was patterned from a video game character in Tekken.
In an episode of The Backyard Podcast, the Ohio State Buckeyes standout revealed his inspiration, Eddy Gordo. "The dude on there that was like, he used to look drunk and s-t. That was how I used to try to look. Like it was deceptive. But that gave me that, like, when I see him fight and look like he ain't," said the 28-year-old Los Angeles Lakers Shooting Guard, "That's how I want to play on the court. Hey, it's a gimme. Oh, it's a Shamm- you know what I mean?"
