LeBron James Acknowledges The Potential Of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green
Brian Barefield | 12/30/2021, 11:14 a.m.
As the game concluded between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. Two players from the opposing teams could be seen embracing one another, having more than just the usual “Good Game” celebratory ritual which takes place after every game from both teams.
Four-time NBA Champion, LeBron James, who is considered by some as the best to play the game, took the time to offer some advice and encouragement to Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. after Los Angeles had defeated Houston by a score of 132-123.
The future first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer spoke about the interaction between himself and Porter Jr. in his post-game press conference:
What I told Kevin Porter after the game is going to make him an even better player is what he has been doing. His ability to play with the ball. He has some of the best handles and shiftiness in our league. But he is also finding his teammates as well. He is playing the three-level game where he can stand on the perimeter and make shots, get to the rim, and make shots, and when the defense cracks down, he can make plays as well. What can separate him as well is that he is playing point guard early in his career.
Kevin Porter Jr. isn’t the only player that LeBron James has taken notice of from the Houston Rockets. James also had some positive things to say when it came to rookie shooting guard Jalen Green and recognizes that the two playing together will benefit the Rockets in the future.
“They are two dynamic young guys who are very explosive,” said James. “With Jalen Green, his ability to come off pin-downs and rise and shoot, he is going to get better and better as his game evolves. The athleticism that both of them presents is really good.”
After the press conference, James reiterated how much he liked Porter Jr. and Green. He said their confidence on the court and unwillingness to back down would take them far.
One could imagine that James was referring to the one-on-one matchup he had late in the game against Green in which the rookie cleared the left side of the court to take on the former five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection. Green stared him in the face as he made his move past James to get to the rim. Although Green missed the shot, he let James know that he was not afraid to take on one of the best players in the NBA.
Although the Rockets lost the game, the experience of playing against such a great player like LeBron James was acknowledged by Porter Jr. after the game.
“Bron (LeBron) is Bron,” Porter Jr. said. “I love playing against Bron because he is the best in the world and the face of the league.”
Houston will have a small two-day break before they are back in action to close out the year against the Miami Heat on New Year’s Eve and bring in the New Year playing the Denver Nuggets on January 1.