LeBron James went toe-to-toe against rookie sensation Zion Williamson on Sunday, as the Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans in what turned out to be a very entertaining contest. It was L.A. that emerged victorious in this one, coming away with a 122-114 victory in New Orleans' Smoothie King Center, but it goes without saying that the 19-year-old rising star left quite an impression LeBron.

So much so, that after the game, James talked about his responsibility of passing his knowledge to the future torchbearers of the league, naming Zion — along with a few other highly promising youngsters — as one the players LeBron believes will be dominating the NBA in the next decade or so.

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Williamson actually outscored LeBron in their matchup on Sunday, with the former dropping a game-high 35 points on 12-of-16 from the field and 11-of-13 from the line. Not to be outdone, though, James logged 34 points (on 14-of-21 shooting) with 12 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, and three triples, as he led a Anthony Davis-less Lakers side to their fourth win against New Orleans, resulting in a season series sweep.

The fact, however, that Zion showed no signs of backing down must have impressed LeBron. The three-time NBA champ believes that Williamson is the future of the NBA, and that along with the likes of Trae Yong, Luka Doncic, and Donovan Mitchell, to name a few, the league will be in very good hands for the foreseeable future.