Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ impact on the league is evident. Younger players vie for his approval, no different than what James did with Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. Since LeBron is sidelined with an injury, his presence on Twitter has only grown with tweets mentioning other players in the league. He even tweeted about a dream he had that Jordan was in.
None, however, could have been as impactful as his recent praise for Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid. The undrafted third-year player has been key for the Timberwolves with Karl Anthony-Towns still sidelined. He dropped 15 points and eight rebounds in a win against the Lakers last week.
LeBron tweeted about Reid during the Timberwolves’ recent game against the Los Angeles Clippers when had 12 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes:
Naiz Reid got toooo much game!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 1, 2023
Reid reflected on being praised by LeBron while on the Outta Pocket Podcast:
“i came into the league undrafted so i’m trying to get recognized… it’s a special feeling”@NazReid on what it was like getting props from lebron james
FULL EPISODE PREMIERING NOW: https://t.co/in7rRY5Eh1 pic.twitter.com/Lkb1kxTgYI
— buckets (@buckets) March 7, 2023
Being recognized by arguably the greatest basketball player of all time is an incredible moment, especially when Reid was undrafted and had to fight for his place in the league.
Ironically enough, Reid is a player that would fit in nicely alongside LeBron — he’s a solid defensive player and an average 3-point shooter at 6-foot-9. Reid often plays as a small ball center for the Timberwolves and is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Reid wasn’t shy about his gratefulness to be noticed by LeBron. He mentioned how it’s one of the best honors a person can receive — being acknowledged by a legend of basketball. He has another chance to catch LeBron’s attention when the Lakers play the Timberwolves at the end of March.
Everything going according to plan in James’ rehab
Unfortunately though, it remains to be seen if James will be on the court for that matchup as he continues to recover from a tendon injury in his right foot. Darvin Ham recently revealed that his rehab is going according to plan, but he likely still won’t be reevaluated until March 23 at the earliest.
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