Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said he will be tuning in to several rising stars and intriguing teams around the NBA while he works his way back from sciatica.
During the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, the four-time MVP highlighted Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks as two players he plans to watch closely this season.
“Obviously Wemby is one of those guys,” James said. “You want to see what he’s going to do every night. He’s a special talent. Obviously Giannis, you want to see what Giannis can do. You love watching Giannis.”
James added Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns to his personal must-watch list. Booker, he noted, became one of his favorites after the two won Olympic gold together.
Teams on James’ radar
The 39-year-old also singled out two clubs he believes could be worth extra attention:
- Portland Trail Blazers – James praised head coach Chauncey Billups for finishing last season strong despite lottery odds and said the addition of Jrue Holiday makes Portland “interesting.”
- Utah Jazz – He recalled Utah’s hot start a year ago and pointed to Lauri Markkanen’s productive summer as a reason to monitor the Jazz.
“There’s going to be some opportunities for us to sit back and just watch and see how this whole thing plays out,” he said, joking that he might alternate between League Pass and the Golf Channel.
Targeting mid-November return
James missed the Lakers’ season opener against the Golden State Warriors while managing sciatica. The franchise expects him to be available again by mid-November.
Until then, the 20-time All-Star plans to study the league from afar, tracking the progress of the players and teams that have caught his eye.
Source: Lakers Nation
