Sunday night marked the second meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans as Zion Williamson and LeBron James put on a performance that highlight reels are made of.
Notably, the older James' demeanor on the court was characteristically chummy as he and the Lakers defeated New Orleans with a score of 122-114. At the game's end, James was seen taking Williamson in for a hug and privately uttering a few words to him. In a post-game interview, he was asked what it was that he repeated to the rookie. Choosing not to reveal what he said, he instead focused on praising the likes of Williamson and other promising stars of the NBA's next generation.
"The league is in great hands with a guy like Zion, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, and the list goes on and on," he assured.
The topic was not left alone, either. Once James took to deliver on a few more words in the locker room, his relationship with Williams, Young and so on was brought back up as he was questioned on how he feels about those who may disagree with how he interacts with the younger guys on the court. The answer was clear.
“Anybody that says, ‘LeBron, why would he do that while he’s playing? He’s showing signs of weakness, he’s buddy-buddy with these guys he’s going against.’ Tell 'em to kiss my ass. With a smile, too.”