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Michael Redd & LeBron James are both Ohio basketball legends who’ve always had an appreciation for each other.

Redd took Ohio State to the 1999 Final Four when James was just a few months away from entering high school at St. Vincent- St. Mary in Akron.

The former All Star says he thought teenage LeBron would soon be a great player in the league, but other NBA guys at the time didn’t think so.

(Via Heavy Live):

“I remember being in the NBA, I was telling a lot of guys, ‘This kid is going to be amazing, mark my words.’ A lot of guys were like, ‘Nah, wait until he gets to the NBA. It’s going to be a different game for him, more physical with grown men.’ I said, ‘Listen, scratch all that. When he gets to the NBA he’s going to be phenomenal.’ I was sharing with guys then of how great he was in high school and lo and behold, his career speaks for itself.”