Lakers News: Jayson Tatum Describes How People ‘Lost Their Minds’ Seeing LeBron James In Seattle

Damian Burchardt
3 Min Read
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is seemingly trying to get his game rhythm back early this offseason by playing pro-am games, most recently in Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver alongside other NBA stars — such as Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

James first turned up to the Drew League for the first time in 11 years, teaming up with the Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan last month. Earlier in August, the four-time NBA champion confirmed he would also put on a show in Crawford’s CrawsOver Pro-Am in Seattle.

Among the highlights, James got the crowd roaring after finishing a lob from Tatum on a fast break. But the Lakers All-Star’s mere presence electrified the audience. In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Tatum said some of the eventgoers “lost their minds” when James walked onto the court:

I think I’m a big deal, but when LeBron walked out there… And it’s like, I know Bron — we see him all the time. But these people who see him on TV, they haven’t seen him play in years, so the kids lost their minds when he walked on the court. That was a cool moment to be there and see that.

Unfortunately, organizers had to cut the game short due to unsafe floor conditions. However, James still loved the experience. “SEATTLE!! That was SPECIAL yesterday!! WHOA,” he tweeted.

“Even with us having to stop play because of things we couldn’t control! I appreciate the love and hospitality towards me and my folks who came along for the show!”

Rockets rookie Tari Eason enjoyed meeting ‘idol’ James at Craws Over

Rockets rookie Tari Eason joined Tatum and James among basketball stars attending The CrawsOver. Just like people in the crowd, Eason was excited to see the Lakers superstar in person, calling the moment a “lifelong dream” that came true.

“If you know me then you know today I achieved a lifelong dream playing and meeting my idol [LeBron James]. Appreciate you man [for real],” Eason tweeted.

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Damian Burchardt is a sports writer who has covered basketball, soccer, and many other disciplines for numerous U.K. and U.S. media outlets, including The Independent, The Guardian, The Sun, The Berkshire Eagle, The Boston Globe, and The Ringer.