"He's so SPECIAL!!!" - LeBron James gives a major shoutout to fellow LA Laker Talen Horton-Tucker for his stellar performance against Orlando Magic
LeBron James has taken to Twitter to acknowledge teammate Talen Horton-Tucker's stellar performance during the LA Lakers' 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Recording 19 points, three assists and a game-high six steals, Horton-Tucker put his talents on display against the Magic.
Here's what James had to say about his young teammate's performance via Twitter:
"He's so SPECIAL!!! He's HIM"
He’s so SPECIAL!!! He’s HIM twitter.com/Lakers/status/…
Apart from LeBron James' tremendous outing, Sunday's game also saw major contributions from all the players in the LA Lakers lineup. With Anthony Davis sitting out due to knee soreness, the rest of the team stepped up on both ends of the floor.
Horton-Tucker is considered a vital cog in the LA Lakers system, and the team needs him to take on an even bigger role on both ends of the floor. Having displayed sparks of potential in previous games, the Lakers will hope to see the 21-year-old grow into his role in the near future.
The development of Talen Horton-Tucker
The LA Lakers drafted Talen Horton-Tucker as a second-round pick in the 2019-20 season. Despite barely seeing time on the court in his rookie season, the young player tasted championship success with the side.
By that point, the young Laker had already attracted the interest of LeBron James, who spoke very highly of him ahead of his sophomore season.
Although his sophomore year didn't see him break out and emerge as a star, Horton-Tucker still showed sparks of potential. This was enough to make him a valuable asset for the future.
The LA Lakers' roster overhaul ahead of the 2021-22 campaign saw only LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker stay with the side ahead of the season opener.
A major reason why Horton-Tucker was retained is his defensive potential. LA Lakers head coach Frank Vogel was very vocal about the role he expected the young player to take up ahead of the season opener.
As much as we have discussed Talen Horton-Tucker’s shooting, both Vogel and Pelinka have made it clear that the team needs his defense to make a big improvement to help mitigate the losses of KCP and Caruso. Major challenge for the 20 yr old, can’t wait to see if he can do it https://t.co/c70SKCaNEI
With his long wingspan, Horton-Tucker has emerged as a potential defensive stopper for the LA Lakers. His six steals against the Orlando Magic are a stark display of this potential.
Although Horton-Tucker has been inconsistent this season, the LA Lakers are quite sold on his talents. His impressive performances have also garnered the interest of several teams.
Former Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma took to Twitter earlier today to address the interest that Horton-Tucker has been receiving from other teams:
Here y’all go again 🤣🤣🤣 twitter.com/thehoopcentral…
Trade rumors surrounding the LA Lakers' young core have created several issues in the past. With these rumors sometimes negatively affecting the players' performances, the Lakers will hope that the same does not happen with Talen Horton-Tucker.