Lakers News: LA Rookie Recalls First Meeting With LeBron James After Draft
Your Los Angeles Lakers, under team president Rob Pelinka, have a sneaky-good record of finding and nurturing young talent now. Kyle Kuzma, Austin Reaves, Alex Caruso and Max Christie number among the top diamonds in the rough, far beyond the lottery, that LA has uncovered with Pelinka in the front office (though Pelinka was working under Magic Johnson when the team acquired Kuzma and Caruso).
This year, LA selected 6'6" shooting guard Jalen Hood-Schifino out of Indiana with the 17th pick in the draft and 6'7" small forward Maxwell Lewis out of Pepperdine with the No. 40 pick.
Los Angeles All-Star small forward LeBron James often seems to bring out the best in his young teammates, maximizing their best attributes even if it sometimes feels like he's drawing blood from a stone. Will James have that same effect on his youngest teammates this season?
Hood-Schifino spoke with Jovan Buha of The Athletic about his first encounter with James this summer, upon joining the Lakers.
"It was recently, like a couple weeks ago," Hood-Schifino said. "We were working out. He worked out before me. I was working out right after him, I got on the court and he just came up to me and said, ‘Hi.’ It was the first time meeting each other, so he dapped me up, asked how I was doing and everything, and that was pretty much it really."
When asked with which of his other new teammates he's been connecting, Hood-Schifino offered up a diplomatic response.
"I would say all the guys, really," Hood-Schifino said. "All the guys that’s been in there, all the young guys, all the vets that’s been there, we’ve all been clicking. It’s been great vibes, great energy. I think that’s all you can ask for as a rookie. Especially coming in, going to a situation that you don’t really know too much about, to have vets and coaches that all have one goal in mind, I think it’s all good."
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