During a recent visit to the ‘Ur. Perspectives’ podcast, former professional basketball player Lanny Smith talked candidly about his incredible seventh-grade encounter with an early LeBron James. Looking back on his first game against LeBron in the AAU Nationals, Smith gave insight into what it was like to play against a future basketball superstar before he was well-known.
Even though LeBron James’s game was fundamentally different from the beginning, Smith found it humorous to hear the comparisons to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as he saw LeBron’s early career develop.
Smith said, “First time playing against LeBron was in the seventh grade at AAU Nationals. I got that game on tape. So it’s always been funny to me when I’ve heard the outside noise on LeBron early in his career, everybody was wanting him to be like Kobe and be like Jordan.”
He added, “I was like, y’all don’t understand, this dude was a point guard. That’s who I was matched up against. But he was a point guard who could jump out the gym. So on the tape, you see him diming out, but then you also see him getting all this over the rim in the seventh grade, right? Funny story, we checking in the hotel for AAU Nationals. LeBron and his team is standing outside the hotel, and Bron had grown five or six inches. Big Perk, like, yo, is that the same n***a?”
He claimed that James was a relatively obscure celebrity when he was a high school student. However, they already knew of his skill from their time together at the Amateur Athletic Union Basketball Nationals.
Lanny Smith Explains How LeBron James Was Destined To Be A Big Superstar In The NBA
LeBron’s game was characterized by his extraordinary court vision, ball-handling prowess, and playmaking ability. However, his athleticism was what made him stand out. Smith related a great story about how LeBron’s growth surge at the AAU Nationals tournament affected everyone, even his teammate Kendrick Perkins.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
That’s when Smith and his colleagues recognized how big of a player LeBron James might be. At 6’6″ or 6’7″, LeBron displayed his top vision, handling, and playmaking talents, which he had already demonstrated at 6’2″ or 6’3″. LeBron’s physique, skill set, and stature combined to prove he was destined for greatness.
LeBron James had expressed that he hoped to play on the same court as his son, Bronny James. The basketball player is getting closer to fulfilling that desire now. From 2024 to 2025, the father and son are expected to play together for the Los Angeles Lakers.
