Several rookies from the 2023 NBA Draft class revealed that they’d like to dunk on Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James now that they are in the league.
Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Bilal Coulibaly, Jamie Jacquez Jr., Brandon Miller, Dereck Lively II and Victor Wembanyama all chose James as the one player that they’d like to dunk on.
Most of the rooks want to dunk on LeBron 👀 😅
(via @Boardroom, h/t @BronGotGame) pic.twitter.com/PnaE3aa1B4
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 25, 2023
Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs, explained why he chose James as the player he wants to dunk on the most.
“It’s gonna feel special to dunk someday hopefully on LeBron,” Wembanyama said. “Because he’s been like the icon of the league for so long.”
Miller, the No. 2 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets, didn’t have a as clear of a reason as Wembanyama as to why he wants to posterize the Lakers superstar.
“It’s definitely Bron,” Miller said when asked which player he wants to dunk on. “You know, why not?”
James is arguably the greatest player in NBA history, and it’s not a surprise that he’s a target because of his pedigree.
However, he wasn’t the only Laker selected. Big man Anthony Davis was also selected by two players, including No. 10 overall pick Cason Wallace, as the guy they’d like to dunk on the most.
It seems like the Lakers may have a little bit of a target on their back because of their superstar players.
While these rookies certainly want the chance to dunk on James or Davis, it’s not going to come easy. Davis is already one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA, and it’s very rare that James is found on a poster due to his insane athleticism.
In fact, some of these rookies may want to be careful because they may end up being on the wrong side of one of James’ patented chasedown blocks at some point in the 2023-24 season.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is under contract with the Lakers for the 2023-24 campaign and has a player option for the 2024-25 season. He’s shown he can still play at a high level, so as long as he wants to keep playing, these rookies will have a chance to challenge him at the rim.