When Bill Walton Once Praised LeBron James for Making NBA Opponents Seem Like ‘Middle-Schoolers’

The list of people who adore and admire LeBron James is very long. Unsurprisingly, the late Bill Walton is also on the list. The kind of love and passion for the game the two-time champion had, made him capable of recognizing greatness. During a conversation with the Road Trippin’ squad in 2017, the late legend talked about LBJ and detailed things that make him a true freak of nature.

Walton said that while people admire LeBron’s on-court performance, his hard work behind it often gets overshadowed. He said, “He’s so lucky. He works very very hard at it, but so much of your health in life is based on luck.” Despite luck, Walton referred to an interesting story to show his determination behind the scenes,

“He sprained his ankles, a horrific sprain during the game. He’s lying there…looking for the stretcher. He gets up, ties his shoes, pounded his foot on the court…sat down for a couple minutes and then came back and was better than ever.”

As per Walton, there were very clear differentiating factors between LeBron and the rest of the league, which are key to making great champions, “Mental acuity and emotional commitment.”

The 1978 MVP believed that LeBron could dominate the league because he had these basics down to the T from the beginning. Talking about LBJ’s game, Walton said, “I mean, there were really really good players out there on the court tonight and he made everybody look like they were in middle school.”

With all the “volcanic explosion” of talent and achievements, Walton believed LeBron was a bigger person outside the court.

Bill Walton credited LeBron James for Ohio’s changed reputation

At the time of Walton’s interview, LeBron was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA veteran said that the King, being in his city, would bring them more glory, even outside the basketball world. Walton even had an interesting story to aid his claim.

He recalled flying to Ohio for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but on his way, all he had on his mind was the negative stigma associated with the place. To his surprise, when he reached there, he saw an Ohio, that wasn’t known to the outside world.

He said, “Everybody’s happy and wonderfully joyous and the airport looks terrific, the hotel downtown, the malls, the restaurants.” Walton believed that the joy he experienced and shared with the people of Ohio was a result of LeBron’s presence.

He said, “I mean, he’s like Mozart.” The NBA veteran going out of his way to applaud LeBron for being a true change-maker shows the type of person the great Bill Walton was.