Now set to enter his 23rd NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has had to square off with many of the top defenders this league has ever seen. And when it comes to the next generation, one of the top new young stars and best defenders is undoubtedly Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets.
In just his second season, Thompson was an NBA First Team All-Defense selection while finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and helping the Rockets to the second-best record in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, and that likely frustrated Thompson even more as the young forward hates the Warriors.
In an appearance on The Young Man and the Three podcast alongside his twin brother Ausar, Thompson revealed that he was a big LeBron fan growing up and thus, began hating the Warriors when the rivalry with the now-Lakers superstar began:
“I was a LeBron fan, I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t dislike the Warriors until, I actually liked the Warriors until they had to start playing LeBron. And then I’m like, ‘OK, now I hate the Warriors.’”
Of course, James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances against Stephen Curry and the Warriors from 2015-18. The rivalry has continued since LeBron joined the Lakers in 2019 with them facing off in the NBA Play-In Tournament in 2021 and having a fierce meeting in the second round of the playoffs in 2023.
Thompson is one of many young stars in today’s game who grew up as big fans of James and the young forward does have some similarities in his game. While he is nowhere near as developed as LeBron was when he first entered the league, the Rockets forward is an elite athlete and has shown the ability to handle the ball and create for his teammates while being arguably the best 1-on-1 perimeter defender in the NBA today. And at just 22 years old, he still has plenty of room to grow.
Lakers’ LeBron James rules out coaching in his future
LeBron James is in the final year of his contract with the Lakers and certainly nearing the end of his playing career as a whole. What LeBron will do once he finally hangs it up for good is anyone’s guess, but he made it very clear that whatever it is, it will not be coaching.
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