Former Lakers player Trevor Ariza was one of the highly touted high-school stars alongside LeBron James in 2003. The two have faced each other in numerous high school games, with both players showing flashes of their future selves. However, LeBron’s spirit for showing up better than his high-school rival was re-ignited even further when Ariza and his uncle trash-talked ‘the King’ during a high-school game. And in the classic LBJ fashion, Bron replied to those smack talks by dropping 52 points against Ariza and the Westchester’s Comets. 18 years later, nobody expected these two high-school adversaries to team up in the NBA, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Trevor Ariza was drafted a year after LeBron James, as a 43rd overall pick from UCLA by the New York Knicks. Since then, Ariza has played for several NBA franchises and has even won a championship with the Lakers in 2009. Once again in 2021, Ariza joined the Lakers to team up with James, only to be waived off by the team in 2022.
LeBron James responded to trash talk from Trevor Ariza and his uncle by dropping 52 points
2003 was a crucial year for LeBron James to prove himself as a worthy draft prospect for the NBA. 18-year-old Bron was erupting in almost every game, dropping massive points and leading his high-school team to victory almost every time. When the Fighting Irish faced California’s Westchester Comets, LeBron was victim to trash talks from future teammate Trevor Ariza and his uncle. However, King James, in his most classic fashion, shut Ariza’s smack talk by dropping a 52-point performance in that game. Have a look at this archival video from LeBron History to witness the prowess teenage LBJ possessed a high-schooler.
James was absolutely phenomenal that night, scoring 6 out of 11 three-pointers and 21 of 32 shots from the floor overall. James had proved his brilliance by scoring 33 points in the first half and ended his run for the game with a fadeaway jumper to score his 52nd point. The Irish comfortably won that match 78-52, with James finishing the game with a triple-double.
LeBron James carried expectations of becoming a Hall of Famer since his high school days
The aforementioned performance from LeBron James proved his brilliance as a player at the age of 18. The high-school senior was the United States’ most touted prospect and had a crazy hype surrounding his draft. Though Victor Wembanyama surpassed James’ hype this year, imagining a similar hype for a youngster in the league 20 years ago was something beyond imaginable.
The hype that poised James as a future ‘Hall of Famer’ just as a high school senior was something beyond expectations from his era. When he was surrounded by the question of whether he would be a HOF player or a bust, James knew how to calmly deal with the pressure. He would tell interviewers that he was focused right at the moment, a quality that we see in James to this day. And thanks to his mother Gloria James’ upbringing, this quality of striving to be better each day has benefitted the Lakers superstar like no other.
