The 2026 NBA Draft is believed to be one of the most talented draft classes in many years. One of the top prospects on every draft board is Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who hails from Canton, Ohio. And being from Ohio, it should come as no surprise that he is a huge fan of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
Peterson recently spoke about his admiration of James, saying that while he hasn’t yet met him, James commenting on his Instagram posts meant so much and that he hopes to have the career longevity of the all-time great, via NBA Future Now on X:
Q: "What was the comment from LeBron?"
DARRYN PETERSON: "He said 'H.I.M.'"
Get to know @Darryn_P1 ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft! pic.twitter.com/yOQmlcgJjI
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) June 17, 2026
Peterson didn’t hesitate in calling James the GOAT while also adding that his favorite team is the Lakers simply because that is who James plays for. That is the case for many fans these days who sometimes have more loyalty towards individual players than teams.
To get Instagram comments from someone of James’ status whom you’ve grown up idolizing just has to mean so much and undoubtedly motivated Peterson even more to continue on his path. Peterson was the top high school practice coming into last year, and he remains likely to be selected in the top three of this year’s NBA Draft. To have James comment “H.I.M” on his post surely validated all of the hard work he has put in to this point in his young career.
Having the longevity of James is a bit of a long shot as nobody has even played as long as the Lakers superstar, let alone still be one of the best players in the league, but Peterson shooting for that is a great goal. His physical build and game are very different from that of James as he is more of a pure scoring guard who averaged 20.2 points while shooting 38.6% from 3-point range in his lone collegiate season. And if James returns for another season, he will have the opportunity to face off with his idol on the court.
LeBron James reportedly trying to negotiate new contract with Lakers
Nothing has been made official in regards to James returning for a 24th NBA season, but with free agency approaching it is believed that the superstar is trying to negotiate a new contract to remain with the Lakers.
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