Lakers News: LeBron James Responds to Prospect Emoni Bates Choosing to Play in Memphis
Five-star recruit Emoni Bates has made his decision to join the Memphis Tigers to play for head coach Penny Hardaway. Bates will play alongside Jalen Duran, the No. 5 ranked center prospect to form the top recruiting class for 2021.
Once ranked as the top prospect in the 2022 class, Bates reclassified himself into the 2021 recruiting class, and after originally agreeing to play for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, he changed his mind and went with former NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway.
LeBron James thinks Bates will find playing for Hardaway the perfect match, since Hardaway has relatable characteristics as top wing prospects growing up.
Obviously, James was the most touted high school player coming out of Akron, Ohio, so he for one knows how vital it is to pair up with people who have been in the same shoes as young phenoms trying to make it to the NBA.
During the off-season, Penny Hardaway had discussions to take over the head coaching position with the Orlando Magic, but decided to stay with Memphis, and build what will likely be a top-5 ranked program.
If Hardaway stays as coach for the next two seasons, Bates will definitely learn a lot from the decorated point guard. Bates must stay in college for two years in order to be eligible for the NBA draft in 2023. Since Bates is still 17, rules stipulate that he does not qualify as a one and done player in college, and must stay for at least two years.
