Lakers News: Watch LeBron James’ Insane Alley-Oop To New Center
In a 129-126 October 9th preseason game win against the Brooklyn Nets, LeBron James connected with new Laker Jaxson Hayes on a highly impressive alley-oop.
James tossed the ball with his left hand, over his left shoulder to Hayes who was reachable only behind multiple defenders. Hayes managed to reel the ball in and slam it home, above former DPOY-runner up Mikal Bridges. All of this happened, as the 2nd quarter buzzer expired.
See it here:
There's no doubt that James is one of the best lob passers of this generation, and surprisingly, throughout his career, he hasn't played with many athletic big men. Anthony Davis was the first and arguably only, along with some backup centers he played alongside in Cleveland and Miami.
Having a superb athlete, like Hayes, who is a terrific rim runner and has great burst off the ground, to pair alongside James will be a sight to see, especially in transition (akin to this play).
At 7'0" with a 7'4" wingspan, Hayes is not only a great athlete, but loves to dunk the ball. Impressively, against the Houston Rockets in the 2021-2022 season, Hayes pulled off a through-the-legs dunk.
Christian Clark of Nola.com quotes Jose Alvarado, one of Hayes' point guards in New Orleans. Alvarado remarked:
"[Jaxson] should be in the dunk contest. He just does it so easily. I knew it was coming. I see a lot from Jaxson in practice. He makes it seem so regular."
It's no secret that Hayes is a high-flier, and frankly, the Lakers have been missing some elite burst and above-the-rim plays across the past couple of seasons (beyond a few from LeBron) as the team has gotten older. Hayes could be a breath of fresh air, and if he's on the court enough, him and LeBron could be an incredibly entertaining duo to watch.
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