D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson are basically best friends

If the Los Angeles Lakers young core is ever going to pan out, one important factor will be the chemistry between guards D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Russell could have felt threatened by the Lakers already sporting a player on their roster who made All-NBA Rookie first team playing the majority of his time at point guard, and Clarkson could have taken the Lakers drafting Russell as a slight.

Luckily for all fans of the purple and gold, that has not come to pass. In fact, the two have gone in the complete opposite direction from that doomsday scenario, with Russell gushing about Clarkson at the Lakers media day on Monday, saying "I've seen him put in work multiple times in this offseason. I know it's going to show whenever it's his time to breakout. I know it's going to happen. I just want to be a piece of his success. Me and him together is a dangerous duo."

The two are not only a duo on the court, but off of it as well, according to this nugget from Bill Oram of the Orange County Register:

D'Angelo Russell said chemistry with Clarkson starts off the court. They hang out a lot.

— Bill Oram (@billoram) September 28, 2015

We should have known this was coming when Russell started posting Instagram photos of the two hanging out, laughing, and looking like they are having a great time being young millionaires:

Here is a gif of the two messing around on a mini basketball hoop aka the best way to foster team chemistry:

Preseason, and the first chance to glimpse these two playing together again, cannot get here soon enough.