Cowboys' Tyler Guyton Compares Himself to LeBron James When Talking Basketball Skills

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It's safe to say Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick Tyler Guyton is confident in his basketball ability.

Guyton met with local media for the first time Friday and was asked about his talents on the hardwood. Guyton then said that he has a similar game to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Guyton notably is the son of a college basketball player and did not join the football team until his junior year of high school. Before that, basketball was his primary sport.

Guyton was also notably a youth football quarterback and played defense in high school. He did not transition into being an offensive lineman until he transferred to Oklahoma in 2022.

While he lacks in experience at the position, he makes up for it with explosivity. He has a 6'7", 322-pound frame and could be moved to left tackle despite having never player the position. He also joins a franchise with experience developing lineman into strong players, with Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick serving as recent examples of strongly developed players.

He may need some time to develop, but with the confidence he showed in his comparison to James, he should have a chance to become a solid player for the Cowboys.

NBA Champion Makes Bold Claim About LeBron James

© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins sent out a post on X during Thursday's game.

On Thursday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Denver Nuggets for Game 3 of ther first-round playoff series.

The Nuggets won by a score of 112-105, so they now have a 3-0 lead in the series.

During the game, NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins sent out a bold post on X.

Via Perkins: "Unless Jokic has an early retirement... Lebron will never win another title"

Unless Jokic has an early retirement... Lebron will never win another title

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 26, 2024

The Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals and have lost their last 11 matchups.

Apr 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15)

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

James finished the night with 26 points, six rebounds, nine assists, two steals and one block while shooting 12/20 from the field and 1/6 from the three-point range in 42 minutes of playing time.

Meanwhile, Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and one steal while shooting 9/13 from the field and 0/1 from the three-point range in 39 minutes.

Final pic.twitter.com/3Uzdykgv6A

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 26, 2024

James is 39 but is still among the best players in the league (he is in his first 21st season).

That said, the Lakers have been unable to look like true contenders since winning the 2020 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat.

They lost in the first round of the 2021 playoffs and missed the postseason in 2022.

This summer, James has the ability to opt out of his contract and become a free agent.

Spinnin' 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/PkLT4DqK83

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 26, 2024

Game 4 will be on Saturday evening (also in Los Angeles).

Whoever wins the series will face off against either the Phoenix Suns or Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.

Video: LeBron James, Anthony Davis React to Lakers Facing Elimination vs. Nuggets

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers, yet again, have fallen into an 0-3 playoff deficit against the Denver Nuggets, this time in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

A year ago, the Nuggets swept them in the Western Conference Finals and have now bested the Lakers 11 straight times. But LeBron James is trying to keep hope.

"You just take it one game at a time, at this point," he told reporters when asked if the Lakers believe they could become the first team in NBA history to ever pull off the reverse-sweep (5:52 mark). "You lose, you go home, so you come out with the mindset, let's get one. Force a Game 5, and then we go from there. As long as you still have life, then you always have belief. I just think you play until the wheels fall off. That's what it's always about, for me."

"Our focus, and our mental right now, is trying to get one," Anthony Davis added. "Trying to get a game on Saturday and then go from there. We can't focus on [the 11-game losing streak to Denver], our focus is on trying to get better. From tonight, learn from our mistakes and try to get a win on Saturday."

It's do or die time for these Lakers, who now have the daunting task of winning four straight games against the defending champions. It isn't impossible, but it sure feels incredibly improbable.

USC's Bronny James, son of Lakers star LeBron James, enters transfer portal and declares for NBA Draft

USC freshman Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is entering the NBA Draft and the transfer portal, he announced earlier this month on Instagram. The former four-star recruit played in 25 games for the Trojans after making his college debut on Dec. 10 against Long Beach State less than five months after going into cardiac arrest during a summer workout at USC. James made six starts during the 2023-24 season and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. 

"I've had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete," James wrote. "I've made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal. Thank you to USC for an amazing freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support."

James missed USC's overseas trip to Greece and Croatia for a three-game summer tour and was absent from the start of fall workouts because of the cardiac arrest incident. After his minute restriction was lifted in January, James showcased his potential as both a playmaker and defender in an expanded role. 

James' future came into question earlier this week when rumors surfaced that the 19-year-old would enter the transfer portal and explore his college options.

"I don't know where it came from," LeBron James said after the Lakers beat the Raptors 128-111 in Toronto. "But at the end of the day, Bronny is his own man. He has some tough decisions to make. When he's ready to make those decisions, he'll let us all know. But as his family, we're going to support whatever he does."

Bronny James' NBA Draft projection

James' draft stock is considered a mystery. His overall stats weren't great this season, but that won't prevent a respective team from drafting him. The 2024 NBA Draft class is a mystery because it's one of the weaker draft classes at the top in nearly a decade. That could ultimately benefit James and convince him to declare for the draft if a team wants to take a swing on a prospect with upside. 

James has the tools to be a successful player at the next level. He's a high-motor defender with a playmaking upside. James also has an incredible basketball IQ like his father. Something that James will have to improve on at the next level is his 3-point shooting. James connected on only 26.7% from distance on 2.4 attempts per night.

In the 2024 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings from CBS Sports, James isn't currently ranked, and he wasn't in any first-round mocks. James likely will drop to the second round, but he should get an opportunity at the next level no matter what — which could be on a regular contract or a two-way deal.

Entering the NBA Draft while maintaining college eligibility is common among college prospects who aren't entirely sure about where they project in the draft process. In this case, Bronny projects as a potential second-round pick, so keeping his options open by entering the transfer portal will allow him to go through the draft process, work out for NBA teams, and get feedback before making a final decision. James will have until May 29 — the withdrawal deadline set by the NCAA — to decide to remain in the draft or return for his sophomore season. The NBA has a later withdrawal deadline (June 16) but the NCAA has its own set of rules that states the deadline is 10 days after the NBA Combine ends. The 2024 NBA Draft is June 26-27.

James will need approval from NBA's Fitness to Play Panel before he can become eligible to participate in team workouts, the draft combine in May or be selected in the draft due to the cardiac arrest, according to ESPN. 

LeBron has a player option for the 2024-25 NBA season that he could hypothetically decline, which can create an easier path for the two to pair up next season. The Lakers own their second-round pick for the 2024 NBA Draft. The New Orleans Pelicans own the Lakers first-round pick and have the right to receive their 2025 first-round pick instead.

Portal possibilities

Days after his father shot down the rumors of him entering the transfer portal, USC poached Arkansas coach Eric Musselman to replace Andy Enfield, who left town to take the vacant job at SMU. Despite Musselman having ties to the James family, he still elected to enter the upcoming draft and the transfer portal. 

The younger James played with Arkansas signee Isaiah Elohim at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California. Musselman recruited Elohim to Arkansas before he left for the vacant job with the Trojans. However, James decided to enter the portal - the first step for a player who intends to transfer.

Early logical options to land James out of the transfer portal Ohio State, Duquesne, Oregon, UCLA, and SMU. Coming out of high school, James committed to USC over Oregon and Ohio State. Duquesne recently named Dru Joyce III — LeBron's former high school teammate from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School — its next coach of the program.  

Impact on USC

USC has already lost star wing Kobe Johnson via the transfer portal this offseason to crosstown rival UCLA. Collier is expected to enter the NBA Draft, and four-star guard Trent Perry recently de-committed from the school after the coaching change. 

Musselman is an excellent high school and transfer portal recruiter. While he was at Arkansas, he helped land the No. 2 overall recruiting class behind Duke in the 2022 cycle. Musselman is known to use the transfer portal to attract talent, which will likely be the case as the Trojans transition to the Big Ten. 

Most top high school talent in the 2024 recruiting class already signed their National Letter of Intent to their respective schools. Musselman's best option to replace James, Collier, and Boogie Ellis in the backcourt is to convince Perry to stay.

Paul Pierce Suggests LeBron James Could've Voted Him as NBA's GOAT in Player Poll

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

One person voted for ex-Boston Celtics legend (and Basketball Hall of Famer) Paul Pierce as the game's greatest of all time in The Athletic's recent anonymous poll of NBA players.

As good as Pierce is, this is very likely his first public inclusion into the GOAT conversation, which has largely been populated by Michael Jordan (who received 45.9 percent of the vote) and LeBron James (42.1 percent).

During an appearance on Tuesday's edition of FS1's Undisputed show with Keyshawn Johnson and Skip Bayless, Pierce was asked about the vote, alongside a query on who he thought voted for him (h/t Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing).

"Hey Skip, Key, sometimes it's not always everything you do on the court, but off the court too that makes you the GOAT," Pierce said.

"Hey, it's a combination of things that can put you in the GOAT conversation buddy...Don't hate the player, hate the game, you know what I'm saying?"

Soon afterward, Pierce brought up James' name unprompted.

"What if LBJ voted for me? I played against him, he must think something. What do you think about that? What do you think about that? We had a lot of battles. Come on now, we had some tough battles. We had some tough battles. It could have been LB."

Johnson then said that he held his own, and Pierce said he agreed (until he got old).

The C's and James' Cleveland Cavaliers (and later Miami Heat) absolutely had some battles. Boston beat Cleveland four games to three in the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals and 4-2 in the 2010 East semis. James then left for the Heat, who beat the C's in the 2011 East semis and 2012 East finals.

Pierce held his own against one of the game's all-time legends. He's not the GOAT, but he had a great career in his own right, making 10 All-Star teams and four All-NBA teams. Pierce also made the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Steph Curry Ranked Over LeBron James on Surprising NBA List

The NBA recently revealed their list of top selling jerseys for the second half of this NBA season, and Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry ranked atop the league. Beating out Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who was second on this list, Curry ranked first in jersey sales across the entire NBA in the second half of the season.

NBA says Jalen Brunson's jersey was No. 15 in ranking of top jerseys sold in second half of the season. Knicks were in top 10 in team merchandise sales for that time period: pic.twitter.com/35w32ZWvOi

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 19, 2024

This is very impressive, considering Curry has been on the same team his entire career. Still widely considered the two faces of the NBA, James and Curry are clearly still atop of the league in terms of popularity.

It is unfortunate that Curry and the Warriors were not able to make the playoffs, as there is always a lot of excitement whenever Golden State is in the mix. While the Lakers did make the playoffs, they already trail the defending champion Denver Nuggets 0-2, having now lost 10-straight games to them.

The Lakers and Warriors played some incredible regular season battles this year, and just missed facing each other in the play-in tournament. These two teams faced off in last year's Western Conference Semi-Finals series, with Los Angeles eliminating Golden State.

Curry and James have had several battles against each other on the game's biggest stage, and as previously mentioned, remain the two most popular players in the league.

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Steve Kerr Gets Brutally Honest About Warriors vs. Lakers

NBA Players Explain Picking Lakers' LeBron James over Michael Jordan in GOAT Debate

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Michael Jordan is still the greatest of all time in the eyes of NBA players, but his lead over LeBron James is narrowing.

On Monday, The Athletic released the results of its annual player poll, and 45.9 percent of the 133 players who responded regarding the GOAT question picked His Airness. That was followed by James at 42.1 percent and Kobe Bryant at 9.8 percent

Sam Amick of The Athletic noted Jordan's lead over James is much smaller than it was in the same poll in 2019 (73 percent to 11.9 percent) and 2023 (58.3 percent to 33 percent). While part of that can be explained by younger players entering the league who grew up watching James and are only familiar with Jordan through highlights, some of the players who picked the King discussed their rationale.

"I'd say LeBron," one player said. "Just to be able to do it for 20 years, it's insane. I think it's more of a longevity thing that you have to look at there, and (how) still every year he's playing at the highest level. With the highest expectations (placed on him), he had everything to lose in terms of coming into the league.

"It would've been very easy for him to underachieve and not meet those expectations, I think he's far surpassed them, all of them, somehow. … Being on the floor, the closer you are to the game, the more of a sense (you get) for how great LeBron is, how he sees things, how he talks. His impact on the game, his gravity on the game is felt."

Amick noted those who voted for James consistently pointed to his longevity, which isn't surprising.

After all, he is 39 years old and just completed his 21st season in the league. While he may not be the same player he was at his peak, he still made the All-Star Game for the 20th time in his career this season and helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the playoffs by averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić were the only other players in the league to average at least 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds this season.

That longevity allowed him to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record last year, further cementing his legacy as an all-time great.

"Who would I draft in an all-time draft?" one player said. "That's the way I look at it, you know what I'm saying? Some people look at it like, 'Who do I want taking the last shot?' Blah, blah, blah, all this other sh–. But in an all-time draft, I'm choosing LeBron. Why? I get 20 years of greatness, and I get somebody who plays one through five (point guard through center). And let me just say, the person I choose No. 2 would be Shaq (O'Neal), the most dominant player of all time. So in my GOAT debate, I would go 1-2 like that. And this is coming from a Kobe (Bryant) fan."

Another player highlighted that longevity.

"(LeBron) for sure," he said. "I think him being able to literally do everything and win (titles) with so many different organizations (the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers) and also having the most points in his career, along with figuring out how to have longevity in his career. Everybody's looking to have longevity, and he figured it out. He figured it out at the highest level. It doesn't make any sense."

James is still chasing Jordan in titles (six to four), NBA Finals MVPs (six to four) and league MVPs (five to four), but even that might underscore the difference between the two.

Jordan's peak might never be matched. Even retiring for nearly two seasons to play baseball didn't prevent him from winning six championships during an eight-year span and taking over both the league and popular culture as a whole.

But he played 14 seasons that were interrupted by multiple retirements. James has continued to play at an incredible level across 21 different campaigns and doesn't look like he will be falling from the ranks of the league's All-Stars anytime soon.

Jordan's peak or James' longevity?

It is a question that has split the NBA community, including the players.

Video: LeBron James Says 'It's F--king Stupid' While Reacting to Lakers' Nuggets Loss

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James let his frustration be known following L.A.'s 101-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Monday night.

While speaking to reporters after the game (h/t ESPN's Dave McMenamin), James took issue with what he perceived to be inconsistent officiating from the referees.

In reference to a foul originally called against Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. on Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell late in the third quarter, James said: "D-Lo clearly gets hit in the face on a drive. What the f--k do we have a replay center for if it's going to go [like that]? It doesn't make sense to me."

James later had a somewhat questionable foul called against him with 57.1 seconds left in the game, which allowed Nuggets guard Jamal Murray to hit two free throws and tie the game.

Per McMenamin, a Lakers source suggested that the James foul could have been considered "marginal" contact and overturned, which was the rationale crew chief Scott Foster used for overturning the Porter foul.

LeBron continued by saying the officiating inconsistencies "make no sense" and "bother" him. When he got up and left the podium, James said, "It's f---ing stupid."

Given that the Lakers were already down 1-0 in the series, Monday's loss was significant, and it loomed especially large since L.A. was in control for much of the contest.

The Lakers led by 15 at halftime and 10 after three quarters, but they were outscored 32-20 in the fourth, and Murray put an exclamation point on the game by hitting the game-winning shot with 0.1 seconds remaining.

Now, James and the Lakers are facing elimination if they don't turn things around quickly against the reigning NBA champions.

Denver swept L.A. in the Western Conference Finals last season, and although the circumstances surrounding the Nuggets' win on Monday were controversial, it is starting to feel as though the Nuggets may have the Lakers' number.

Nuggets' Jamal Murray Amazes NBA Fans with Game-Winner to Beat LeBron James, Lakers

Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Jamal Murray: Champion. Cold-blooded. Game 2 hero.

After struggling with his shot throughout Monday's Game 2 of the Denver Nuggets' first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the guard put his team on his back and scored six points in the final minute. The last two came on a fadeaway jumper as the buzzer sounded, giving Denver the 101-99 victory.

The reigning champions are now up 2-0 on the series and maintained their dominance over the Lakers by overcoming a 20-point deficit for the win.

It was an incredible ending with LeBron James stealing the ball and elevating for a dunk to put the Lakers ahead by three in the final two minutes. From there, Michael Porter Jr. tied it with a triple, D'Angelo Russell gave Los Angeles the lead with a layup, Murray hit two free throws to tie it, and then he and James exchanged baskets.

James had a wide-open three-pointer on the Lakers' final possession but missed it. That set the stage for Murray's game-winner, which drew plenty of reaction from social media:

Murray finished with 20 points and five assists on 9-of-24 shooting from the field, while Nikola Jokić dazzled with 27 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals. Porter also impressed with 22 points and nine boards behind 6-of-10 shooting from deep.

As for the Lakers, Monday's loss surely feels like an obstacle they may not be able to overcome.

While Denver swept Los Angeles in the 2023 Western Conference Finals and won all three regular-season matchups in 2023-24, it seemed like the Lakers were finally going to put that all behind them on Monday.

After all, they jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead while Anthony Davis (32 points and 11 rebounds) played at an unstoppable level. Russell also caught fire from deep on his way to 23 points and seven three-pointers, while James was in full control as the primary facilitator and de-facto point guard.

The King (26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds) dictated tempo in pick-and-rolls with Davis and then sensed when he needed to assert himself as a scorer with back-to-back three-pointers and an and-1 down the stretch after the Nuggets climbed all the way back from their 20-point deficit.

On another night, James' steal and monster dunk over Murray may have been the exclamation mark from another vintage performance by the all-time great.

Instead, Murray had other ideas.

Take-Two Beats LeBron James’ Tattoo Artist in Lawsuit Over Copyright

Video games based around sports like to get the players to look as real as possible, and that usually includes adding any notable tattoos. Well, one artist wasn't having any part of that. Take-Two has defeated LeBron James' tattoo artist in a lawsuit over copyright infringement.

The artist at the center of the lawsuit, Jimmy Hayden, began this legal endeavor in 2017, but it wasn't until 2019 that he started to argue copyright infringement for the use of his work in Take-Two's NBA 2K series. James was never involved in the lawsuit.

According to Reuters, though, a jury in Ohio determined that Take-Two did not infringe on the copyright because of an implied license that allowed the company to use James' likeness, which included his tattoos.

Related: Top Spin 2K25 Is Almost Ready for the Masters (Review)

Attorney Dale Cendali of Kirkland & Ellis, who represented Take-Two, told Reuters that the decision was important for the entertainment industry and " anyone who has ever gotten a tattoo and might have otherwise worried about their freedom to share their bodies with their tattoos."

This isn't the first time Take-Two has had to go to court for a case involving tattoos. Solid Oak Sketches, a notable tattoo studio, claimed copyright infringement against the company in 2016 due to it recreating tattoos of James and Kobe Bryant. Take-Two ended up winning the case in 2020 after proving fair use.

Take-Two wasn't so lucky in 2022, however, when artist Catherine Alexander was awarded $3,700 after the company failed to prove its recreation of Randy Orton's tattoos in the WWE 2K series fell under fair use.

NBA 2K24 is available now.

If you're interested in more sports-related content, here's a piece about how former NFL player Jason Kelce wants to revive the Backyard Football and Baseball series.

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