Brian Windhorst has been linked to LeBron James throughout his basketball career, so a current ESPN NBA insider has some thoughts on the current Los Angeles Lakers player It’s no surprise that the star’s former teammates have an in-depth understanding.
However, Windhorst isn’t the only one who can immediately name James’ former teammates. In a nearly minute-long exchange with a fan, he and Windhorst rattled off names from famous to obscure until the repetition ended the exchange.
With three teams to choose from, the Lakers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, and just starting his 21st season in the NBA, there are plenty of players to choose from. According to Proballers, James has 243 teammates in the NBA. Jackson Hayes is one of the latest players to join James in playing the first two games with the Lakers to start the 2023-24 NBA season.
Windhorst and James actually attended the same high school, St. Vincent-St. Louis High School. Marie High School in Akron, Ohio—different times. The author covered the player in high school and became a Cavaliers beat reporter after James entered the NBA in 2003.
After James left his hometown to join the Miami Heat, he moved to ESPN, and the reporter’s profile continues to grow online and in NBA circles. The 45-year-old is now regarded as one of his top spokespeople across the league, but last summer he admitted his relationship with the 38-year-old wasn’t as strong as it once was.
James, for his part, has had an interesting start to the season, with the Lakers trying to manage his minutes and workload more than they have in the past. He played just 29 minutes in the season-opening loss to the Denver Nuggets, but he had some confrontations with the coaching staff, pleading for a bigger role and a chance at point guard.
He then played the entire fourth quarter in Thursday’s win over the Phoenix Suns, logging 35 minutes.
One day, maybe Windhorst will talk to James about his thoughts on these minutes restrictions.