"Just watching him gives me energy, because you see him doing it at 36" - Talen Horton-Tucker inspired by LeBron James’ conditioning; credits him for his off the floor advice
Talen Horton-Tucker is one of the brightest young players in the NBA. The 21-year-old already has a championship winners medal to his name and is playing alongside a legend like LeBron James. Horton-Tucker has said that playing with the 4-time NBA champion has been a source of inspiration for him and has helped him develop as a player.
The 36-year-old is known for his high basketball IQ. He is also a lovely teammate and constantly drives youngsters like Talen Horton-Tucker to become better. Speaking about LeBron James and his influence on the team's performance, Talen Horton -Tucker said in his post-game press conference:
"Just watching him, it gives me the energy because you see him doing it at 36, that gives me no excuse to kind of do the same thing back, So just being able to have somebody like him and you know the other guys that we have around and so, I feel like it's going to do wonders for me."
He's just too strong.
@Thortontucker x @KingJames https://t.co/5mozoYfsne
Talen Horton-Tucker started the season extremely well. The youngster has elevated his game to the next level and has found himself a starting spot in Frank Vogel's team. LeBron and THT have been doing some great work together. King James' elite passing has proven to be a big help for the youngster, who constantly keeps looking for opportunities to score.
In the game against the Orlando Magic. THT scored 19 points and a few of those were from dimes thrown by LeBron. Speaking about LeBron's impact on his recent brilliance, Talen Horton-Tucker said:
"He's been a huge part to it, just trying to give me every bit of advice that I can get from him is great. So I feel like, he's always been open to me, trying to help me get the ball, use him for screens and using him as a decoy also to try and get open so just being able to have someone there, that's kind of in my back giving me the push is always gonna be good, I appreciate it."
Talen Horton-Tucker said LeBron's been a huge resource for him gaining confidence in recent games. He gives advice off the floor, but also on it, he sets screens for THT, plays the decoy for him, finds him on the perimeter with passes and gives him lots of opportunities.
Talen Horton-Tucker puts on a splendid performance in LA Lakers' win against Orlando Magic
The LA Lakers came into the game after an easy win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, considering the team's inconsistencies this season, anything could be possible in this encounter. They started the game strong, but the Magic's offense pulled things back with a stunning performance in the second quarter.
LeBron playing straight up bully ball 💪💪 https://t.co/ZlHEh2T9ld
The Orlando team took a three-point lead going into the halftime break. But from there on it was the Lakers all the way. Talen Horton-Tucker was splendid on the night. He showed up on both ends of the floor and made things very easy for the Lakers, who went on a scoring outburst in the third to eventually take the win on the night.
LeBron James secured a 30 point triple-double on the night. Talen Horton-Tucker chipped in with 19 points on 50 % efficiency from the field. The youngster had a game-high 6 steals and made lives tough for the Magic offense.
LeBron James stuffs the stat sheet as the @Lakers win at home!
Russell Westbrook: 19 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST
Talen Horton-Tucker: 19 PTS, 6 STL (career high) https://t.co/kAZByxWJ1u
This was the Lakers' second win on the trot, which is a great sign for them. The team next faces the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, December 15. If the Purple and Gold put on a similar performance at the AT&T Center, they can definitely defeat the Mavs team and further improve their record.