The Golden State Warriors rookie forward Eric Paschall shared details on the first time he had to guard LeBron James.
Namely, that was his welcome to the league moment as the Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers in their first game of the pre-season.
“My welcome to the NBA moment was definitely in my first preseason game,” Paschall said on Howard Beck’s “The Full 48” podcast. “I didn’t expect to be the first person in off the bench. So coach Kerr’s like, ‘Eric!’ He laughs in my face and just goes, ‘You got AD.’
“So I have to guard AD, I have to guard LeBron.”
The Lakers beat the Warriors, 123-101, to open the Chase Center. When it comes to Lebron, the Dubs’ rookie forward experienced his superior strength.
“LeBron bullied me for the first time. I thought I was a strong guy until I met him, so that was kind of crazy. But the next time, I bumped him just so he doesn’t bully me again.
“I took a foul on that one, but I feel like I wound up playing well against him,’ Paschall noted, per NBC Sports.
During the Warriors’ league-wide worst record season during this year, Paschall has been a bright spot for the Bay Area team.
In Particular, he averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 60 games, while he has been established himself as a valuable rotational piece for the next season.
