Lakers News: NBA Finals Star Gives Big Ups to LeBron James
Andrew Wiggins has been connected with Lakers forward LeBron James since his rookie season. Wiggins was the newly drafted player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but would soon get shipped away as part of a Kevin Love trade after James decided to return to Cleveland.
Most recently, Wiggins had a breakout season after being considered a disappointment most of his career. Wiggins would go on to be named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career and was arguably the second best player for the Warriors during their playoff run.
Of course, the Warriors would go on to win their fourth championship in seven seasons.
Growing up in Canada, Wiggins had huge hype coming out of high school. Wiggins felt the pressure, even drawing comparisons to James (quotes via Point Forward podcast)
“There was definitely pressure, especially being from Canada, just knowing the whole city is watching. The whole country is watching. The whole country wants you to do good. They’re calling you the next LeBron, stuff like that. Ain’t nobody gonna be the next LeBron. That’s one of one.”
Wiggins is right, James is a one-of-a-kind player and has been in recent GOAT conversations among NBA players. The pressure of trying to live up to a hype that big for a 19-year old athlete seems unfathomable for most people.
The connection between Wiggins and James has come to an end over the years, but to praise James after winning a championship tells people all they need to know about the greatness James brings to the court.
