Scottie Barnes went toe-to-toe with LeBron James as the Toronto Raptors dueled the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored a career-high 31 points and racked up a career-high 17 rebounds and six assists while James recorded 36 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the Lakers' overtime win.

No rookie had matched the stat line Barnes posted since Blake Griffin in 2011. The Raptors' 20-year-old forward has been on a tear recently. As a big forward that can do it all for his team, at least a few comparisons will be made to James.

When asked about what James meant to him growing up, Barnes kept it real. The Raptors youngster admitted to being a big fan of Kobe Bryant going up a seeing LeBron as a rival. He added that James is still a very influential player, especially for players with builds like himself.

James said after the game that he has been a fan of Barnes since Barnes was in middle school. In his rookie season, he is showing why he has the potential to be a star. In 35.7 minutes per game over 62 games this season, Barnes is averaging 15.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor for Toronto.

The flashes of all-around dominance from Barnes show that he can be a big part of the Raptors' future alongside Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. He can also contribute now, as Toronto is 39-31 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.