Talen Horton-Tucker has been a pleasant surprise for the Los Angeles Lakers, as the 19-year-old was able to provide some quality minutes off the bench during the Lakers' second-round series win over the Houston Rockets. Unsurprisingly, Lakers superstar LeBron James apparently played a key role in the success of the young rookie.
Horton-Tucker made his first postseason appearance in Game 4 against the Rockets, scoring five points in just seven minutes of action. The 6-foot-4 Lakers shooting guard also logged two boards and two steals during his limited run. He followed that up with a nine-point effort in Game 5, with just 10 minutes of playing time.
According to Horton-Tucker himself, he credits LeBron for providing him with some solid advice in what was his first playoff experience:
“'Bron told me to stay ready,” Horton-Tucker said, via Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “To hear that coming from him, he gave me a boost. Who better to hear that from in the first playoff game? The advice they gave me was to stay ready, stay patient and things are going to happen.”
True enough, Horton-Tucker's time came, and to his credit, he was indeed ready to help the Lakers.
The former Iowa State standout then went on to share the mindset he had while he was on the floor:
“I wasn’t trying to be too high or low,” he said. “I just wanted to play and do what I do best. That is just playing the game I know how to play and doing it the right way, too.”
Horton-Tucker has yet to make an appearance for the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets (he was humorously involved in Anthony Davis' game-winning shot). Nevertheless, he has remained ready as he patiently waits for his time to come.
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