Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner had the privilege of facing both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James during his NBA career. Initially, Turner held Kobe Bryant in higher regard, believing he was significantly ahead of LeBron James.
However, Turner’s perspective changed after he encountered LeBron on the court during a game between 2017 and 2018. In fact, he went on to praise LeBron James, sharing some positive remarks about King James that would interest fans and basketball enthusiasts.
Myles Turner doubted LeBron James’ greatness before facing him
LeBron James has faced plenty of doubters in his career, with some believing his greatness is exaggerated. Myles Turner, too, once held a different opinion until he faced LeBron James in a playoff series. In 2017 and 2018, as the two met in the postseason, Turner’s perspective shifted.
Myles admitted, ‘I wasn’t a LeBron hater, but I used to think, “He’s Bron, he’s cool, but he ain’t Kobe…” until I actually played against him. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever faced. He sees things before they happen.’
James is undoubtedly the type of player who can elevate teams with lesser talent into contenders, as seen during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Myles Turner Shares a Hilarious Story of Being Booed vs Kobe Bryant
Myles Turner remembered a funny moment of being booed by his home fans after defeating Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in his rookie season during a recent Run Your Race podcast interview. Myles and Bryant’s NBA careers only crossed paths for one season, which was the 2015–16 season, serving as both their rookie and last seasons, respectively.
Turner missed the very first match between the two teams early in the season, so they only truly met once that year. However, the one showdown in Indianapolis was memorable for both of them on and off the court. While recalling the encounter, C. Myles Turner said, ‘Kobe leads an entire comeback by himself. He scores like 4 or 5 possessions in a row, and the crowd’s going crazy. ‘Ahhhhhh!’ [Paul George] comes up, hits a crazy three. ‘Boooooo!’ Our own crowd, bro. We won the game. they wanted the Lakers to win so bad, bro.’
This story highlights the deep admiration people had for Kobe Bryant during his farewell season and the passionate loyalty of basketball fans. What’s your take on Myles Turner’s hilarious story of getting booed? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
