Washington Wizards: LeBron James thinks Rui Hachimura will be “really good”

Hopefully, this doesn’t mean LeBron James will be trying to poach Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards any time soon.

All-Star weekend is a great time for players from around the NBA to make an impression on their peers. Whether they’re trying to do some recruiting or simply prove they belong with the rest of the NBA’s stars, there may not be another time when as much top talent is concentrated into one zip code.

After an impressive display in the Rising Stars Challenge, Hachimura seems to have at least one new fan. Apparently, LeBron James is a Rui Hachimura fan. When asked about the Washington Wizards rookie, the face of the NBA had nothing but good things to say.

"He’s a really talented player. Obviously he’s been injured a lot this season so I haven’t been able to see him as much. He’s been injured and out of the lineup in Washington…Good strength to him. Good feel for the game. Very poised. You can tell he spent some years in college to develop his game. That definitely helps when you get to this level. I think he’s going to be a really good player in this league."

Coming from one of the best players in NBA history, that’s certainly high praise. Coming out of college, it was Hachimura’s feel for the game that was questioned. Half a season later, it’s encouraging to hear James, a guy with one of the highest basketball IQ’s imaginable, compliment Hachimura’s feel for the game. Ever since Hachimura came back from his groin injury, he’s looked much better as a playmaker, often finding open teammates in situations when he used to try and force up contested shots.

The praise doesn’t come from a place of ignorance, either. James should know about Hachimura’s competence and confidence better than most. James is right, Hachimura has missed a ton of time this season. But he didn’t miss the only matchup between the Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers this season. In that game, Rui showed no fear when matching up against the King under Los Angeles’ bright lights.

The Wizards were thoroughly outmatched throughout that game in LA, ultimately losing 125-103, but Hachimura impressed despite matching up with LeBron and Anthony Davis throughout most of the game.

Hachimura finished with 16 points (the second-most on the team) and eight rebounds (tied with Moritz Wagner for most on the team). Not a bad day for a rookie going up against some of the NBA’s best.

James will have to wait a little bit before he gets his next up-close look at Hachimura. The Wizards and Lakers will play each other on March 28 in Washington, D.C. See ya then, LeBron.