Amen Thompson spoke about how he and his brother, Ausar, were taken by LeBron James, and what it feels like to play against him in the NBA.
LeBron James has been a true stalwart of the NBA for over two decades now. After entering the NBA in 2003, James has set the standard for excellence for multiple generations of basketball players.
It’s hard to comprehend just how much of an icon James is, given that many of today’s stars have all cited him as a key inspiration for them to pursue basketball.
Things have gone from James being tested by Paul Pierce in the 2010s to now playing against Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
But how do the players who grew up idolizing LeBron James feel about now being his colleague and playing against him? Amen and Ausar Thompson shed some light on the tricky mix of emotions.
Amen and Ausar Thompson can’t believe they’re playing against LeBron James
Amen Thompson and his brother, Ausar, were guests on the Young Man and the Three podcast recently, where they discussed their brief stint in the NBA so far.
When discussing what it is like to play against LeBron James, the twins admitted they didn’t even think it was possible. To see LeBron not just play, but play at the highest level at his age, is mesmerizing for them.
“I’d say the only weird thing is seeing what he could still do. I didn’t think I was going to be playing against him, you know what I mean?
“Seeing what he could still do, like how athletic he still is, how good he still is. That’s the weird part.
“You come to the league and you want to compete with the best, so you don’t really think about it. This is what you asked for.
“It’s just crazy that he’s still here playing, still doing left-hand windmills off the opposite foot on people.”
LeBron James close to the end of the road in the NBA
LeBron James might still be performing at the highest level in the NBA, but it’s clear he has lost a step when it comes to his athleticism and explosiveness.
He is still a great player, but he isn’t the outright best player in the world like he used to be at the peak of his powers.
As James enters his 40s, he is close to the end of his career. As things stand, many expect James to leave the Lakers at the end of the season.
Whether he decides to call time on his career at the end of this contract remains to be seen. But for now, fans are ready to enjoy every remaining moment of LeBron’s career/
