LeBron James makes opinion clear on Bronny James' draft mate after stellar performance
LeBron James showed love to his son, Bronny James', draft mate Stephon Castle, after the LA Lakers' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Castle had one of his best games after dropping 22 points and five assists in his sixth start. He shot 7 of 12, including 3 of 4 from distance.
LeBron ensured he shared a few encouraging words for the Spurs' first-round picks after the teams produced an incredible contest in the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup. The Lakers star revealed his message to the former UConn prospect, saying:
"Keep going, keep going, man. He's gonna be special. He's gonna be special. It's always great to see young talent coming to our league and make an impact right away."
Stephon Castle seemed fearless in a matchup against two of the league's best, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He was key in keeping the Spurs in the hunt for a win, playing an excellent cameo to Victor Wembanyama's 28-point, 15-rebound and five-assist night.
However, the Spurs lost 120-115. LeBron dropped a fourth consecutive triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists, while Davis went off for 40 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, shooting 14 of 26, including 2 of 4 from 3 and 10 of 12 from the free throw line.
Stephon Castle reacts to facing LeBron James
Stephon Castle faced LeBron James for the first time in his NBA career. Castle had plenty of incredible moments when going up against one of the game's greats. The Spurs rookie stood his ground on both ends when going one-on-one with LeBron. He reflected on their matchup after Friday's contest, saying:
"I feel I did good. I had a lot of help, obviously, on the backside. But I mean, to go up against LeBron, a guy I've been watching since I was a kid is definitely crazy. To share the court with him. But like I said, at the end of the day, still wanted to win the game. So, I'm not really thinking about that in the middle of the game, but I am definitely going to look back on that moment for sure."
Castle elaborated on his post-game conversation with LeBron, revealing that the Lakers star spoke to him about "reads" and Xs and Os side of things he could continue improving at.
Stephon Castle said it meant a lot to him, considering LeBron James' stature and the fact that he didn't have to initiate their conversation. The rookie said he respects the 39-year-old and reiterated that it was a special moment for him to share the court with the legend.