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LeBron James praises Ben McLemore after he scored 17 points in the Lakers’ blowout win over Kevin Durant and the Nets: “He will be heard loud and clear!”

Samir Mehdi
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LeBron James praises Ben McLemore after he scored 17 points in the Lakers' blowout win over Kevin Durant and the Nets: “He will be heard loud and clear!”

LeBron James takes to Twitter to praise Ben McLemore on his stellar performance against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets. 

The highly anticipated matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets this past Saturday was deemed by many to be a preview for this 2020-21 NBA season’s Finals.

However, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, and James Harden sidelined for the bout, it felt as though two play-in caliber teams squared off, rather than two contenders. 

The Lakers bested the Nets by blowing them out 126-101, and in doing so, perhaps found a gem in Ben McLemore. Though he had a more than forgettable debut on Thursday with the Lakers, he went off against the number one seeded Nets, scoring 17 points on 5-10 shooting from beyond the arc. 

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The Los Angeles Lakers used their final roster spot on Tuesday night by signing Ben McLemore, who was a free agent at the time. This is due to the Houston Rockets having released him some time prior.

The former number 7 overall pick in the 2013 Draft is known to be a sniper from way out, shooting nearly 37% from range for his career. More importantly, he’s been cracking the 39% rate for a while this season and the last.

LeBron James is ecstatic about having Ben McLemore on the Lakers

Following McLemore’s 17-point outing, LeBron James took to Twitter to show love to the Lakers’ newest addition. Ben McLemore was more than appreciative of his Laker teammates for keeping his spirits high during the Nets game:

“I obviously didn’t shoot it well in the first half but all I kept hearing was ‘keep shooting, keep shooting.’ and obviously, that’s what I’ve got to continue to do. I hit a few in a row, got us going and obviously got the big win tonight.” 

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This encouragement clearly worked as he only missed two of his seven 3 point attempts in the second half, helping the Lakers maintain a sizable distance from the Nets.

Ben McLemore will fit seamlessly in the Lakers offense as they were frothing at the mouth for a player with McLemore’s skillset: a floor spacer for LeBron to kick it out to and a decent player on the defensive end of the floor who can use his length to his advantage. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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