Legend Bill Walton Already Called Lakers' LeBron James an All-Time Great in 2005

James was just finishing his second year when Walton made this declaration.

Leave it to clairvoyant Bill (not Simmons) Walton to already declare LeBron James as an all-timer after just two years in the league back in 2005.

In just his sophomore season in the league, James was already averaging 27 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Remember, he was not even old enough to drink at this point in his life at 20 years old.

“LeBron James is there right now and what he’s doing is just so spectacular."

Bill Walton on what LeBron needed to do to achieve success.

“Really what you need are the foot soldiers around LeBron to do all the dirty work.”

It seems that James finally figured that out after his seventh season, when he took his talents to South Beach. Since then, James has always surrounded himself with talent and players who knew exactly what they are to do in their roles.

Walton had one of the most storied collegiate careers at UCLA playing for John Wooden and was a dominant center winning MVP and two titles in the NBA, but foot injuries derailed his career. Even with his storied career, he definitely seems like an underrated player evaluator too.