“Growing up, I always, you know, watched LeBron James” - Bones Hyland describes the motivation behind a big game against his childhood hero

Denver Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland became the latest young star to embrace the opportunity to play against LA Lakers superstar LeBron James. The 'King' has been dominating the NBA for 19 straight years, and most of the younger generation of players considered him a role model growing up.

Hyland revealed his emotions of being able to share the court with the four-time MVP after the Nuggets decimated LeBron's Lakers 133-96 on Saturday.

Hyland expressed his awe at sharing the court with LeBron James to NBA TV analysts. He said:

"Growing up, I always, you know, watched LeBron. So sharing the court with him was big to me. I wanted to show the world what I had to offer and, you know, I stepped out today and made a name for myself, and come out with the win. It was a great team win."

Bones Hyland finished the night with a game-high 27-point double-double, shooting eight of 15 from the floor, including six of ten from the 3-point line. He was also a team-high +/- +34.

Bones Hyland tonight:

27 PTS
10 REB
6-10 3PT FG

Torched the Lakers defense. 🔥 https://t.co/WwLTkMmqd4

Hyland is turning out to be a steal for the Nuggets from this year's draft. They picked him as the 27th pick overall, and he has done an exceptional job of covering for the injured Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

LeBron James and LA Lakers fall below .500 again as losing streak extends to three games.

LeBron James' LA Lakers produced yet another disappointing display. The Lakers had no answer to the Nuggets offense defensively. They simply did not play hard enough and were outhustled by their opponents, who seemed much more active on the night.

Denver outrebounded LA 51-41, made nine steals as a team and recorded 23 fastbreak points and 15 second-chance points on the night. The Lakers' casual approach to this contest saw them fall to 21-22 for the season. LeBron James and Co. missed All-Star big Anthony Davis, who has proved to be a solid matchup against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.

Lakers lost by 37 Points tonight vs. Denver. 😳 https://t.co/YOTFv0wJwk

James was never an ideal matchup against a seven-footer like Jokic, so the Lakers couldn't make much of an impact with their tried and tested 'LeBron at the five' lineups. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan did their best, but Nikola Jokic proved to be too good to handle for the veteran centers.

The Lakers have one of the toughest schedules ahead. Considering the way they have performed thus far, it seems like they will take a while to figure out their issues.