Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James gave some major respect to Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell on Thursday.
James compared Mitchell’s current playoff run to that of Dwyane Wade in 2006.
During that 2006 run, Wade averaged 28.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists over 23 postseason games. He shot the ball at a 49.7 percent rate from the field and 37.8 percent from three.
Wade ultimately led the Miami Heat to the NBA title that season, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the NBA Finals.
This postseason, Michell has been playing some of the best basketball of his young career. The 24-year-old voiced his frustration after missing Utah’s first playoff game with an injury, but has since averaged 32.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists over six games.
Mitchell has been extremely efficient, shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three.
His best game of these playoffs came in Game 1 of Utah’s second-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. In that contest, Mitchell went for 45 points on 16-for-30 shooting.
Mitchell is a two-time All-Star with an extremely high ceiling. He’s building himself a playoff legacy this season for the Jazz, who are hoping to make a title run as the top seed in the Western Conference.