It looks like Duke rising star Paolo Banchero has finally made it. After coming out with a strong performance in his highly-anticipated debut for the Blue Devils, none other than Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James himself gave the 18-year-old freshman a shoutout on social media.
LeBron took to Instagram as the Lakers shared his strong reaction to Banchero's coming out party (h/t Angelo Guinhawa on Twitter):
LeBron James (@KingJames) showing some love to Duke star Paolo Banchero (@Pp_doesit) 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/cUfM1E02Gj
— Kit Guinhawa (@BeatKit22) November 10, 2021
James just had to take notice of Banchero's LeBron 11's on his feet on the cover of Slam magazine. The Lakers star also complimented Banchero for being “so tough.”
Banchero, a five-star recruit coming out of high school, dropped 22 points in his Duke debut to go along with seven rebounds and two steals. Based on his first game for the Blue Devils, it does seem like the 6-foot-10 power forward is going to live up to the hype surrounding him.
It's also clear that Banchero is going to get much more recognition on a national (and even international) level after this LeBron shoutout. Unsurprisingly, The Lakers star quickly turned Banchero into a fanboy after seeing James' IG Story:
no way bron put me on tha story man sorry but y’all gotta let me be a fan for a second 😭 that’s my goat fr 🤞🏽
— Paolo Banchero🇮🇹 (@Pp_doesit) November 10, 2021
Banchero responded by showering LeBron with some ultimate praise, naming the four-time NBA champ as his GOAT. Sorry, MJ, but some members of the younger generation already have LeBron James ahead in the pecking order.
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