LeBron James had some mighty praise for New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson after his Los Angeles Lakers pulled out a 120-117 overtime win on November 2.
James gushed about the explosive former top pick, who notched 27 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the loss, comparing him to some of the greats.
“Something we’ve never seen, a talent of his size, his speed, his athleticism,” James said of Williamson. “Just like a Giannis. Just like a Barkley or Shaq. Just certain talents that come into our league that you’ve just never seen before.”
That’s a mighty high bar that James is setting, but he felt the power of Williamson firsthand as the big man powered to the basket.
“It’s so funny when you hear people say, ‘Stop him from going left.’ It’s the same thing I heard for so many years with [Manu] Ginobili, Lamar Odom,” James said. “When you’re great, it doesn’t matter what you do. They’re going to figure out a way.”
James is 4-0 against Williamson, and their interactions have caused previous stirs. After embracing and sharing some words with Williamson following a game in 2020, James responded to critics who said he shouldn’t be so cordial with a potential rival.
“Anybody that says that, ‘LeBron, why would he do that while he’s playing? It’s a sign of weakness. … He’s buddy-buddy with the guys he’s going against.’ Tell them to kiss my ass,” James said. “All right? With a smile, too. Appreciate it.”
LeBron James Dealing With Rough Cold
James has been slowed by a cold that he said has had him bedridden for the past few days. The four-time MVP still managed a near triple-double, putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
“Today was the first day I got out of bed since Sunday night,” James said. “There’s something going around, and it hit me pretty good. It hurt me to my soul to miss the Halloween party with all of my guys on Monday.”
James, fortunately, got a hand from an unlikely hero in the tight contest. With seconds remaining, unheralded forward Matt Ryan caught a pass in the corner and drained a 3-pointer to force overtime. Surrounded by future Hall of Famers in James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, it was the undrafted Ryan who hit the clutch bucket, which was by design.
“I kind of just felt in my gut that [the Pelicans] know Matt is a threat to shoot it but I would be using him as some type of decoy for someone else,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “But the play was definitely intended for him. Austin [Reaves] threw a hell of a pass.”
Anthony Davis Feels Lakers Are Clicking
The consecutive wins come after an 0-5 start to the season, but the Lakers seem to have found some rhythm with the new-look roster and Westbrook coming off the bench.
“Just kept fighting, trying to stay in this moment of remembering how winning feels. We want to continue to do it,” Davis told reporters. “It’s starting to click, starting to find things. Find rotations, find situations where we were really good. And guys are staying ready, coming in and playing well. We’re starting to put everything together.”
The Lakers have a long way to go but are finally trending in the right direction after the miserable start. The catalyst has been Westbrook coming in as a reserve, guiding the second unit and contributing in a variety of ways. He finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
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Lakers Star LeBron James Sounds Off on Zion Williamson After Win