NBA News Roundup: LeBron James hypes up Talen Horton-Tucker again, stoked by Kevin Durant's return

Don't be surprised if you see Talen Horton-Tucker steal the headlines in almost every other NBA news roundup today. Horton-Tucker caught everyone's eye in LA Lakers' first preseason game against the LA Clippers and continued his dominance in the next one. LeBron James was already impressed by the sophomore's talent, and now he's expressed his amusement again.

NBA News Roundup: LeBron James praises Talen Horton-Tucker on social media again

Talen Horton-Tucker absolutely overpowered the LA Clippers in a warmup game on Sunday. He ended with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals. Needless to say, his performance left everyone impressed. One of the fairly active personalities online, LeBron James took to Instagram to shower praise on the 20-year-old.

Only a couple of days ago had LeBron James raved about Horton-Tucker's potential. And when King James calls you special, you use that as motivation to fuel yourself.

Telling you right now! This kid is flat out SPECIAL! Mark my words https://t.co/KOYtlFxNVV
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 12, 2020

After two stupendous outings, Talen Horton-Tucker has made his case for inclusion in the LA Lakers' rotation during the 2020-21 season. This only increases the headache for head coach Frank Vogel, who'll have a fairly deep roster at his disposal.

NBA News Roundup: LeBron James welcomes back Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant featured in the Brooklyn Nets' preseason encounter against Washington Wizards on Sunday, 552 days after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon. LeBron James was elated to see the two-time NBA Finals MVP return to the court and expressed his delight on Instagram.

Despite the rivalry between the two, both KD and LeBron have the utmost respect for each other. Only recently had the latter commended the skills that the former brought to the table. So while it was nice to see King James give a shoutout to Durant, it was nothing out of the blue.

LeBron James acknowledges that Kevin Durant and himself motivate each other like Magic/Larry, MJ/Pistons did.

“KD’s a dog, he’s so good.”

There’s always been a mutual respect between the two long-standing best players in the game. pic.twitter.com/WIntIFG3Ee
— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) December 8, 2020

If both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can maintain the form they showcased in their first warmup game, the Brooklyn Nets could be a problem in the East. There's a good chance that the duo could lead the Nets to the NBA Finals with LeBron James and the LA Lakers waiting for them there.

Also read: LA Clippers 106-131 LA Lakers: Twitter explodes as Talen Horton-Tucker dominates Kawhi Leonard and co. | NBA Preseason 2020-21