As Lebron James walked out of the Lakers locker room and down the tunnel at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night, he ran into a familiar face, but not one from the world of basketball.
Jayden Daniels — the Washington Commanders’ electric young quarterback and 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year — stood waiting to meetup with the King outside of the locker room. The Southern California native, Cajon High’s finest export, looked like he had met with his idol before and the two friends were saying hello again after a long layover.
LeBron didn’t hesitate when he saw him. He beelined for Daniels and wrapped him in a hug that felt genuine, not staged.
The California Post captured the moment on video. It’s everywhere now.
After the embrace, Daniels asked if LeBron would snap a photo with his friend. “Whose phone?” the friend asked nervously.
“Whoever got the best phone,” LeBron shot back with a grin.
As they posed, Daniels’ friend shouted, “Take 20!” — a line every iPhone user understands on a spiritual level.
The internet, of course, did what it does. Some fans jokingly speculated the impending free agent might take his talents to Washington to reunite with Anthony Davis now that the Wizards could be building a contender after also trading for Trae Young.
One Wizards fan even imagined what the staring five would look like next season.
Others, protective of Daniels after an injury-marred 2025 season, were less charitable. “Get him away from Jayden!” one wrote.
Another called LeBron the “world’s greatest flop artist.”
One simply declared: “Aura almost blew my phone out of my hands.”
But mostly users loved the meetup and acknowledged it was two great players saying hello.
And that’s the biggest takeaway from this video. That greatness recognizes greatness. A 41-year-old icon meeting a 24-year-old rising star. No tampering. No conspiracy. Just respect between two athletes playing at the highest level.
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[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
