LeBron James’ 21-year-long NBA career has earned him fans from around the globe.

His legacy has inspired many new generations of basketball stars, with his Paris Olympic teammate, Tyrese Haliburton, being one of them.

Recently, the latter showcased his appreciation for the 39-year-old through childhood photos, garnering attention worldwide.

After returning from France, Haliburton posted a throwback on X to show The King‘s influence on his journey.

The post included two childhood images. In one, the Pacers star was wearing James’ number 23 jersey from an Eastern Conference All-Star event.

On the other, he was lying on the bed wearing the Akron-born’s iconic green and gold St. Vincent-St. Mary High School gear.

The third and final image captured a full-circle moment for Haliburton as he posed alongside his role model after winning the recent Olympic Final against France 98-87.

In the locker room, the duo stood side-by-side while proudly holding their gold medals.

While uploading this post, the 24-year-old credited his mother, Brenda, for sending him the childhood images on time.

He also expressed amazement at his remarkable rise to stardom, with the caption,

“My mom sent me these pics this morning, life crazy lol”.

Shortly after, this heartwarming moment caught James‘ attention, he acknowledged the Pacers star’s admiration while appreciating his journey. Quoting the post, he wrote, “Haha! Crazy bro!!! WOW!!”.

This instance undoubtedly reminded the NBA world of James’ extraordinary legacy. From his breakthrough as a teenager to becoming one of the greatest of all time, the Los Angeles Lakers star crafted an unparalleled career.

Moreover, his time in the NBA translated into success. After all, his illustrious career included four championships, four Finals MVPs, and four regular-season MVPs.

He also stood as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 40,474 points while holding records for the most All-Star selections (20) and All-NBA First-team nods (13), among many other achievements.

Consequently, the career of the Lakers’ star was destined to impact aspiring players like Haliburton. Interestingly, James’ longevity later helped those admirers become his teammates, adding to the uniqueness of his NBA journey.