Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has an uncommon passion for the game of basketball. Perhaps nothing illustrated that more than when a few summers ago, LeBron James spoke about how being involved with his children’s AAU games and summer tournaments helped bring the passion back. That’s the type of passion that brings one to watch high school basketball games and stumble upon a player they find a connection with. According to LeBron James himself during a recent press conference, a player that sparked that feeling within him over the years is the Laker’s preseason phenom, Talen Horton-Tucker.
James told reporters, according to SB Nation’s Christian Rivas, that he stumbled upon a Simeon High School game a few years ago, the storied Chicago school where Horton-Tucker played, as well as Derrick Rose, Jabari Parker, Nick Anderson, and late Simeon legend Benji Wilson, told Rich Paul that night to put him on the Klutch Sports radar.
“I saw him about three and half, four years ago,” James said of Horton-Tucker. “I was watching a high school basketball game and I happened to catch Simeon playing. And I told our agent at the time — it’s now Talen’s agent, Rich Paul — that he needs to take a look at this kid Talen Horton-Tucker that’s at Simeon. I think the kid is super talented. This was like four years ago.”
With his son Bronny being a high-level high school recruit, LeBron’s knowledge of the players coming up into the NBA will only grow, which will absolutely benefit both the Lakers and Klutch Sports.
