D'Angelo Russell is not afraid of possible retaliation for leaked Nick Young video

D'Angelo Russell made it clear at the Los Angeles Lakers' practice on Friday that he understood that apologizing to Nick Young wouldn't immediately fix the situation between the two of them.

"Until he lets it simmer down, then I think it will still be an issue," Russell told Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News and the rest of the assembled media. "You can't force peace if it's not there"

Russell sounded like peace is what he ultimately hopes for. However, peace may not be the most immediate outcome in such complicated and sensitive situation.

Some former and current players have suggested in recent days that Young or other players around the league should retaliate physically to show the rookie point guard how strongly most of the league feels about the leaked video of Young admitting to infidelity becoming public.

Russell says that if it came to that, he won't back down from standing up for himself:

Asked about former players and analysts saying he deserves physical retribution, Russell said, "I'd get physical back."

— Bill Oram (@billoram) April 1, 2016

It remains to be seen if things will go that far, but Russell standing his ground shouldn't be a surprise given his confidence in himself:

D'Angelo Russell: "I'm the same guy forever, having confidence, speak my mind, same guy. I don't feel like anything could change that."

— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 1, 2016

D'Angelo Russell said, "You've really got to have thick skin to survive in this era and this city."

— Bill Oram (@billoram) April 1, 2016

It sounds like Russell may have the thick skin and confidence necessary to do so, and those same qualities left the rookie flabberghasted when assistant coach Larry Lewis asked him who was winning a two-on-two game featuring himself and backcourt mate Jordan Clarkson taking on two of the Lakers' development coaches:

Larry Lewis asks Russell who's winning in 2 on 2. D-Lo: "What kind of question is that? Is the sky still blue? Is the grass still green?"

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 1, 2016

One of the primary worries of many fans in the early stages of a rebuild is that all of the defeats will shake a young player's confidence. Despite all of the off-court drama and losses piling up by the dozen, Russell says he hasn't changed. Perhaps we shouldn't expect him to, as long as the sky is still blue, and the grass is still green.