LeBron Praises 'Exceptional' Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero
ORLANDO - Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero didn't put his best foot forward in his first-ever meeting against his "idol" LeBron James.
Banchero scored a season-low four points as he dealt with foul trouble in Tuesday's loss at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.
But that hasn't taken away from his Rookie of the Year campaign and the numbers he's put up, which hasn't been seen since LeBron's rookie season 19 years ago.
LeBron has kept tabs on Banchero ever since the two met in the summer at the CrawsOver Pro-Am event in Seattle ... and the King is impressed.
"He's been exceptional," James said. "Playing great ball, [he's] been a three-level scorer so far in this league. He's only going to get better and better. Every game he'll get better and better. All these experiences is just really good for him."
LeBron even went as far to compare him to the legendary draft picks the Magic has made in the past, putting him on the same level as other Orlando icons.
"They got a good one," James said. "Great kid too. They've got a great one in Orlando. They've had some really really good picks in their drafts. They got Shaq, they got Dwight, now you see him. They've done really well."
Banchero also drew a compliment from Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, who called him a "hell of a player" in the post-game press conference.
Even though Banchero didn't deliver against the Lakers, he has an opportunity to redeem himself tonight against the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Magic? Click Here.
Follow The Magic Insider on Facebook.
Follow The Magic Insider on Twitter.
Want even more Orlando Magic news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
