As the dust settles from the NBA trade deadline, LeBron James and the LA Lakers find themselves with some minor upgrades ahead of the playoff push. Following Rob Pelinka’s last alterations of the roster, fans dug up an interesting connection between the Lakers’ new addition and the 22-time All-Star.
This time last year, LA took a big swing by pulling off a jaw-dropping blockbuster for Luka Doncic. With the big three locked in, it was a quieter deadline from Pelinka and the front office. The trade might not have been flashy, but it does bring in a complementary piece who should thrive in LA’s offense moving forward.
LeBron James’ praise for Luke Kennard resurfaces following Lakers trade
In the final hours before the deadline, the Lakers made a small move in the margins to reshape their supporting cast. Per NBA insider Shams Charania, LA parted with point guard Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick in exchange for Atlanta Hawks guard Luke Kennard.
Kennard, 29, has hung around the NBA as an efficient threat from beyond the arc. He appeared in 46 games off the bench for the Hawks this season, averaging 7.9 PPG on stellar 49.7% shooting from beyond the arc (3.2 attempts per game). He now joins a Lakers team headlined by LeBron and Doncic, where he should thrive as a kick-out option for the superstar duo.
Aside from crossing paths in the NBA, LeBron and Kennard have an interesting history that predates both turning pro. Now on the same team, footage resurfaced of the Lakers’ star forward chiming in on their past ties.
Similar to LeBron, Kennard is an Ohio native. Before playing at Duke, he attended Franklin High School. During his time there, Kennard became the highest-scoring player in state history. The player he passed, St. Vincent-St. Mary’s alum LeBron James.
Though LeBron has always been a fan of Kennard’s game, he has never forgotten him surpassing him in the record books.
“Luke Kennard, who broke my scoring record in high school,” LeBron said. “Passed me in high school, and the reason why is he’s a laser from the three-point line. His ability to shoot the ball is uncanny.”
“Luke Kennard who broke my scoring record in high school — he’s a laser from the 3PT line”
LeBron on Luke Kennard pic.twitter.com/ceGtDlGBzp
— 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅 🏆 (@PurpGolded) February 5, 2026
Seeing that few players in the league garner as much attention as LeBron and Doncic, both stars are likely to build a quick connection with Kennard on the floor.
With his elite efficiency from beyond the arc, he is someone capable of making defenses pay for sending multiple bodies at either Lakers star.
