When Andrew Wiggins entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, he was considered to be one of the best prospects to enter the league since LeBron James back in 2003.
To make matters even more interesting, Wiggins was originally drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that drafted James.
As many NBA fans know, the two never played together. In 2014, James opted to return to the Cavs after a stint with the Miami Heat, and the Cavs decided to trade away Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love.
From those early days, Wiggins undoubtedly felt a sense of pressure to live up to huge expectations. It wasn’t until recently that Wiggins admitted that those expectations left him with a profound sense of pressure.
“There was definitely pressure, especially being from Canada, just knowing the whole city is watching. The whole country is watching. The whole country wants you to do good. They’re calling you the next LeBron, stuff like that. Ain’t nobody gonna be the next LeBron. That’s one of one.”
Though Wiggins will never be the kind of player James is, he has made a great name for himself. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors during the 2019-20 season, and he has become a pivotal part of that team’s success.
He was named to his first All-Star Game in the 2021-22 season, and he won his first NBA championship last season as well.
As for James, he and the Los Angeles Lakers had a dismal showing last season and failed to even advance to the playoffs. Still, the Lakers are trying to reload this summer to become contenders once again.
If they succeed in that goal, it is possible that James and Wiggins could end up battling it out in the playoffs next spring.
