"He's here for a reason": LeBron James reserves high expectations for 21-year-old rising star 

LeBron James had nothing but praise for a rising 21-year-old star.
LeBron James had nothing but praise for a rising 21-year-old star.

LeBron James loved what he saw from a rising 21-year-old star, Brandon Miller, on Monday night. Miller had an impressive outing against the LA Lakers at the Spectrum Center despite the 124-118 loss. The Charlotte Hornets made a huge run in the fourth quarter led by Miller but eventually fell short.

Miller finished the game with 33 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, where he almost single-handedly brought the Lakers down. Miles Bridges kept the Hornets afloat with 41 points, but it was the rookie out of Alabama who stunned the visitors in the final period.

In his postgame interview, James had nothing but praise for Miller. He loved what he saw from the Hornets guard and is excited to see what he can accomplish in the next few years:

"He's here for a reason," James said. "He'll continue to get better. I love what I see from him at this stage of his career."

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

Brandon Miller was the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, and many were critical of the Charlotte Hornets for the decision. The Hornets passed on Scoot Henderson, who was touted as the second-best player of the draft class, behind Victor Wembanyama.

However, Miller has been having a better season than the struggling Henderson. Miller is averaging 16.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 44.0% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 82.1% from the charity stripe.

The 21-year-old star is among the best rookies this season along, so it's not surprising that LeBron James is a huge fan of him. Other top-performing rookies include Wembanyama, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dereck Lively II, Brandin Podziemski, Cam Whitmore, Jordan Hawkins and Keyonte George.

youtube-cover

Also Read: "Let Miles Bridges abuse us with 41 points" - LA Lakers fans in shambles after Hornets nearly complete 21-point turnaround


Brandon Miller's GOAT is not LeBron James or Michael Jordan

Brandon Miller's GOAT is not LeBron James.
Brandon Miller's GOAT is not LeBron James.

Before playing his first NBA game, Brandon Miller made a bold statement regarding the greatest of all time. He was asked during his pre-draft media availability and snubbing LeBron James and Michael Jordan:

"I actually don’t think LeBron is the GOAT of basketball," Miller said. "My GOAT of basketball is actually Paul George. I grew up watching him. So it was never just LeBron."

It was a valid answer from Miller, as everyone has their own GOAT player. It's a pretty good comparison in fact, as they are both lengthy players who can play both guard and forward positions.

George might be more athletic and better defensively, but defense is something Miller can improve.


Also Read: Did Matt Barnes have beef with Derek Fisher? Looking at their history with Gloria Govan amid viral high school game video

Charlotte Hornets Fan? Check out the latest Charlotte Hornets Depth Chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Quick Links

Edited by Juan Paolo David
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications