DAngelo Russell had to say something. After all, his favorite player was right there, standing a few feet away, on the same court -- someone he had studied for years, devouring countless hours of footage, then rewinding and playing it again before trying to mimic it on the court.For years, Russells friends and family couldnt quite understand his adoration. The player he had long admired wasnt one of the NBAs biggest stars. He didnt play for a major-market team. He didnt even start.To Russell, none of that mattered, and when the games action paused for a pair of free throws during one of their matchups last season, the Los Angeles Lakers point guard, then a rookie, made his move and approached his idol the same way a fan might.Man, Russell told Spurs guard Manu Ginobili.?Its a pleasure to be out here with you.Russell cant remember what Ginobili said in return, but for Russell, the moment was cool enough.I was like, Damn, he said, because he was one of my favorite players growing up.Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Antonio Russell Jr., like many his age, pledged allegiance to Kobe Bryant, but when it came time to pick sides, his younger brother went in a different direction.He used to tell me that his favorite player was Manu Ginobili, Antonio Jr. said. He always used to be like, Manu Ginobili, Manu Ginobili, Manu Ginobili.Antonio Jr.s response: Whoa.For years, Antonio Russell Sr. considered his 6-foot-5 son to be a blend of Jalen Rose and Lamar Odom, two left-handers with size who could handle the ball and do a bit of everything. He soon noticed that DAngelo just wasnt as interested in those players -- or anyone else -- as he was in Ginobili, an acrobatic lefty with court vision and, above all, a fearless nature.As time went on, I saw him pattern his game [after him] and doing the things that Ginobili does, Antonio Sr. said.DAngelo Russell studied film of Ginobili, trying to learn whatever he could.Yeah, basically everything Ginobili did, said Jamie Johnson, a childhood friend. He tried to watch how Ginobili moved off the ball -- just everything, as far as IQ-wise too, because Ginobili, of course, isnt the fastest guy. [DAngelo] understood that he wasnt fast either, so he tried to find players that were similar to him.Thats perhaps the largest reason Russell came to admire Ginobili so much: He believed Ginobilis style was one that he could emulate because their bodies, athleticism and skill sets seemed similar.See, its different when you ask who your favorite player was. You can say those American guys who made their name, like Kobe and Allen Iverson and Shaq and all those types of guys, he said. But I really look at it and say, if I could model my game after somebody [it would be Ginobili].Russell explained further by saying that if a player wanted to emulate, say, Dwyane Wade, he might focus more on pump-faking and midrange jumpers. If that player liked Bryant, precision footwork would be a priority. It depends what suited that specific player.You try to go to what youre accustomed to, he said. And Manu was never as athletic, but he could really pass the ball. He could score the ball, and he was just so unpredictable, and he was a lefty, so he was a player that I really prided myself on being.Throughout Russells youth, it seemed the Spurs were always in the NBA Finals, and Ginobili always seemed to be making a huge impact as a spark off the bench, helping San Antonio win four championships after he joined the team in 2002. For years, Russell followed the wily Argentinian, wondering how Ginobili remained so comfortable as a backup and seemed so ready coming into games, so bursting with energy.When he gets in the game, its like, the whole persona of the game just changes, he said. I was like, man, if I can pride myself into being like that, just being a guy thats so unpredictable that even at the age hes at now [39], hes so hard to guard.More than that, Russell said Ginobili was one of the first players to popularize the Eurostep dribble.Ever since then, everybody really started doing it, he said.As a rookie, Lakers staffers showed Russell footage of Ginobili, particularly how the Spurs ran plays to get him the ball -- a film assignment that didnt take much coaxing.He was just, like, so fiery, and he makes winning plays, and hes so unpredictable, so its hard for teams to scout him, he said.Russell hopes to develop all those traits, but theres one, above all, that he wants from his idol.Just the energy he has, he said. When he gets in the gym, I dont know, hes always ready. Its hard to come off the bench and be ready all the time. Hes always ready, and thats a skill. Air Max 98 Tour Yellow . 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METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said he hopes pass interference calls will become eligible for replay review sooner than later -- a cause that the rival Atlanta Falcons would probably agree with after Sunday.That specific call is so critical to get right, said Payton, who said the idea has been brought up and discussed by a number of clubs in recent years to no avail.And for good reason, Payton said Monday. I think the competition committee needs to spend a lot more time thinking about [it].The idea of reviewing pass interference calls is polarizing ?and has been a non-starter in rules discussions. The competition committee has made it clear that it doesnt want judgment calls in replay.However, the Canadian Football League has been reviewing pass interference calls for the past three years now with the intent of being able to correct the obvious, egregious mistakes -- including one in the fourth quarter of the 2015 Grey Cup game.The Saints were able to beat the Carolina Panthers 41-38 on Sunday despite a controversial pass interference call against safety Kenny Vaccaro in the end zone on a fourth down in the third quarter. Payton said after the game that he wished he could have thrown a challenge flag -- and he stood by the comment on Monday.The Falcons, meanwhile, werent so lucky. Their final offensive play in a 26-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks was a controversial non-call against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who appeared to hook the arm of receiver Julio Jones.Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he expected the competition committee to discuss making pass interference calls eligible for replay in the offseason.Its something that the league has certainly considered in the past; which plays are, which plays arent. I think the topic is there because the penalty is so big, at times, he said. Im certain it will be something that the competition committee will look into. Theyve certainly discussed it before. But as far as where we will go, its something to discuss in the offseason.I dont have an opinion on that matter right now. But what I do think as we go through it, lets look at the evidence,, talk to the competition committee, and come up with a group approach.ddddddddddddJones on Sunday said he thought it should have been pass interference -- though he said he saw no reason to plead with the officials in case the situation arises again.Thats not my job, Jones said. If they make the call, they make the call. If they dont, they dont. Thats not me to coach them up on officiating the game. The only thing I can do is go out there and do my job. ...It was just a missed call. Its over with. Its done. Were on to the next right now.Sherman and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, meanwhile, brushed off the significance of the no-call.Sherman said Sunday that he thought the officials were letting both sides get away with contact.So it was just one of those games. They let us play, said Sherman, who was asked if he thought he got away with one. No, I feel like we won the ballgame.Carroll added, That happens all the time and it was no big deal at all on his weekly radio show Monday with Brock and Salk on 710 ESPN Seattle.Its a jump ball, and Sherms hand was on his arm. That happens all the time. Every play theres stuff going on, Carroll said. Imagine what its like on a Hail Mary play when theres five guys on defense back there, and theres three or four guys on offense. Theres all kinds of bumping and shoving and stuff. They have to determine it. So thats not a big deal at all.But I understand when we look the way we look and you guys sit here for four hours this morning, thats the kind of stuff you talk about. Could they have called it? Yeah, they could. They dont call those calls in any other time either, so pretty incidental.Carroll expanded further that there is a lot of leeway in the officials calls on those plays, because some arm battling is allowed as long as its away from the body and you dont grab the guy and hold onto him and pull him away.Its just very, very difficult. Its always going to be difficult, Carroll said.ESPN reporters Vaughn McClure and Sheil Kapadia contributed to this report. Cheap Jerseys Store Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Wholesale Jerseys Jerseys NFL China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '