Every year, a new set of players are drafted into the NBA, ready to make a name for themselves. While not all rookies get off to a great start, some slowly blossom into perennial stars later in the league. But it looks like Minnesota Timberwolves rookie, Rob Dillingham has his eyes set straight to who he wants to guard the most.
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Joining hosts Justin Termine and Tom Crean on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Rob Dilingham revealed LeBron James as the player he’s most ecstatic to go up against. This is what the Kentucky product had to say.
“I don’t really pick out specific players but if I had to choose anyone, it probably would be LeBron(James). Cause it’s LeBron, he’s been playing in the league for so long. We watched him since we were little kids, so. You wouldn’t even think you’d be playing against LeBron someday, so, definitely seeing LeBron and playing against him.”
“If I had to choose anyone, it would probably be LeBron”#Timberwolves G Rob Dillingham when asked who he’s most excited to go out and compete against.
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— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 28, 2024
The host further probed by asking what Dillingham would do to The King, causing the rookie to laugh and said, “Man, Imma try my hardest. That’s what I’m gonna do.”
Dillingham was the 8th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, the youngster was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for future draft picks.
As the 19-year-old’s eyes are set on taking down The King, numerous young players have stated LeBron James as the player they want to compete against. Having played more than 20 years in the league, James has almost done it all.
He has won every accolade, has numerous championships under his belt, and in a nutshell, dominated the league with such consistency for so long. So, young players tend to aim at taking down the top guy in the league.
Unfortunately for them, LeBron James has given plenty of rookies their ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment. And while Rob Dillingham is aiming to show LBJ what he can do, there is a very good chance that he may just be the next name on the list of players who got schooled by The King.
Now, even though Dillingham is excited to showcase his talents in front of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving is the player he looked up to and modeled his game after while growing up.
As per ProtectiveInsight, a Q&A with the young Minnesota sensation included the question of which player he modeled his game after.
“I like watching Kyrie, ’cause he’s a small guard, but like he does everything I do: facilitate, score, or shoot. So it’s a person I can model my game after a little bit.”
Dillingham is a 6″3′ guard and is considered one of the best scorers as well as an elite shot-creator in the 2024 NBA draft. He may not have the bag Irving possesses but the 19-year-old might turn out to be more of a jump-shooter rather than someone who excels at finishing around the rim.
And to share the court with the likes of Anthony Edwards and a veteran point guard like Mike Conley, the future does seem bright for the young rookie going forward. Let’s see how well he performs and whether he’ll be able to give LeBron James a scare or two.
