“There’s a kid named LeBron James … I would trade everyone in the league for, with the exception of Kobe” - Looking back at Rex Chapman sharing Danny Ainge’s view of a young LeBron James
LeBron James was widely viewed as one of the greatest draft prospects before his selection in the 2003 NBA Draft. Rex Chapman shed light on how great James was when he shared Danny Ainge's thoughts on LeBron back in high school.
Many have compared up-and-coming draft prospect Victor Wembanyama to LeBron James. Coming off a spectacular set of outings against the G League Ignote squad, Wembanyama continued solidifying his draft stock. Senior analysts like ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski have dubbed him the greatest draft prospect of all time.
Finding himself placed above James, Wembanyama faces significant hype. However, given how highly rated LeBron was as a prospect, some would suggest that recency bias clouds perspective.
In this regard, former NBA player Rex Chapman shared an exciting story regarding Danny Ainge's view of LeBron James' draft stock. Chapman recounted the conversation on the Rich Eisen Show (from 5:12-5:56). He said:
"I asked him [Ainge] if there was anybody out there - this was probably 2000-01. He said, 'There's a kid named LeBron James in Akron, Ohio that right now I would trade everyone in the league for, with the exception of Kobe.'"
"Danny Ainge said that and I went, 'What are you talking about?' And then I watched some film of him playing football and then also playing basketball and the only thing he couldn't do was shoot. That was it. He could do everything else."
His passing was otherworldly. Defensively, he could jump. ... Amazing. Danny was spot on."
James was one of the most highly touted prospects in his draft class. Coming out of high school, James garnered enough attention for his talent to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
In this regard, Victor Wembanyama finds himself in a similar position. Widely expected to be the first-overall pick in the draft, the media have set enormous expectations for Wembanyama. Especially considering LeBron's career trajectory since being drafted, the 18-year-old has a long road ahead of him.
LeBron James heading into year 20
Twenty years after being drafted, LeBron James has found himself in the final stages of his career. However, the "King" shows no signs of slowing down.
James still finds himself listed as one of the top 10 players in the league, even at the age of 37. Paired with Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook on the LA Lakers' roster, James also hopes to lead the team to a title this season.
However, outside of title aspirations, this season is a meaningful one in other ways. James is on the verge of breaking records that have stood the test of time.
James is on track to pass Magic Johnson for sixth place on the All-Time assists list and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for all-time scoring this season.
17.6 PPG across 76 games played
Here’s what LeBron James will need to average according to games played in order to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s All-Time Scoring Leader this season:
👑17.6 PPG across 76 games played
👑 20.9 PPG across 64 games played
👑 27.1 PPG across 49 games played https://t.co/x8uiW285Fm