Tormented by LeBron James for 8 Years, 31YO Lakers Star Finds Solace in LA Trade

via Imago

You can love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore the magic that LeBron James does on the court. Well, he’s been doing that for 22 years now, and by the look of things, he doesn’t intend on slowing down any time soon. So King James did it again on Sunday night with a deep shot that took everyone by surprise. His new teammate, Dorian Finney-Smith, couldn’t help but share a fanboy moment post that.

During the third quarter of the Lakers vs. Rockets game, LeBron James spread his charm once again on Finney-Smith. The newbie had passed the ball to the 20-time All-Star and went on to block Houston’s Amen Thompson. Little did he know that LeBron would add that assist to Finney-Smith’s tally. The Lakers star took two strides and launched a masterclass from beyond the arc — that, too, on one leg.

Not only did the audience’s jaws drop, but DFS had a similar reaction deep inside. The combo forward shared his thoughts during the post-game locker room interview. He expressed how playing alongside his new teammates is giving him confidence, especially LeBron. Then he added, “Seeing LeBron shoot the ball, you know, off one leg and sh*t. You know what I mean? It’s fun to be, you know, be here to see it and not have to guard it.”

Dorian Finney-Smith on his early Lakers acclimation: “Seeing LeBron shoot the ball off one leg and s— … It’s fun to be here to see it and not have to guard it” pic.twitter.com/rghzaNGEvj

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 6, 2025

Of course, guarding LeBron is a big challenge that all of his opponents can feel. But one thing that’s good for DFS now is that being with the Lakers has taken him off the hook when it comes to defending the superhuman LeBron James. For the past 8 years of his NBA career, which began in 2016 with the Mavericks and then the Nets, he has already faced that challenge. So, this trade has certainly given DFS a sigh of relief.

Despite the magical moment, the Purple and Gold couldn’t stand strong against the home team. Both LeBron (21-13-9) and Anthony Davis (30-13-2) delivered double-double performances, but it wasn’t enough to hold back the Rockets. By the end of the night, the Lakers suffered a narrow 119-115 defeat. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop the new addition from praising LeBron.

Dodo’s admiration for the 40-year-old didn’t start with that one-legged 3-pointer, he has been expressing it ever since landing in LA. And one of those instances came recently.

Following the Lakers’ victory against the Hawks, Dorian Finney-Smith joined the postgame press conference. The obvious question that popped up in the interview from LoJo Media was about his experience of sharing the locker room with LeBron.

“This is something I could share with my kids,” the 31-year-old said. “Really, you know, I get to see greatness and witness greatness and play alongside of greatness.” We totally get you, Finney-Smith. Playing with LeBron in the same jersey is an honor and definitely worth boasting about. And Dodo did just that.

While many pointed out that the chemistry between LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell didn’t quite work, the Lakers will hope it clicks between LeBron and DFS. Whether the trade works in the team’s favor or not will be revealed as the season further unfolds.