7 NBA players that will remind you of LeBron James

7. Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)

The 19-year-old rookie, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has not yet played an official NBA game. He showed flashes in the preseason of future stardom, but knee surgery will delay Zion Williamson’s regular-season debut for the New Orleans Pelicans a few more weeks.

Even before he played a college game, however, Zion was being compared to LeBron.

As a high school phenom in South Carolina, Zion was physically on another level than his competition. The 6’7″ 285-pounder carried himself with a youthful exuberance — similar to LeBron at the same age — but Zion played like a full-grown man among boys.

In his one-and-done freshman year at Duke University, Zion showed there is more to his game than brute force and high flying. He displayed a versatile skill set for a power forward with intangibles and a basketball IQ beyond his age.

A young LeBron went through the same experience early in his pro career (he was able to skip college), quickly proving that he wasn’t just an athlete but an actual basketball player.

Zion has also followed in LeBron’s footsteps as a marquee attraction with mainstream appeal.

Zion was a viral Internet sensation in high school. He became appointment-viewing in college, with some Duke games having an NBA playoff atmosphere, complete with celebrities in the crowd.

As a pro, he is already on a first-name-only basis with the mainstream public: Magic, Kobe, LeBron … you can now add Zion to the list.