Lil Wayne Recounts First Meeting with High School LeBron James at Concert
In a recent interview with TNT, Lil Wayne reminisced about the first time he crossed paths with NBA superstar LeBron James, who was still in high school at the time. The discussion took place as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and the launch of the NBA season.
Lil Wayne revealed that it was Birdman’s brother, Slim, who first introduced him to a young LeBron James. Slim contacted Wayne during his tour with Ja Rule in Ohio, informing him that James wanted to attend his show.
“I had a show in Ohio and I was on tour with Ja [Rule],” Lil Wayne recalled. “Slim, Birdman’s older brother, called me he was like, ‘I got a player out there in Ohio. He want to come to your show. He gon’ be the one. I’m telling you Wayne, he’s a young Michael Jordan.'”
Initially sceptical about the hype surrounding a high school player, Wayne eventually agreed to meet James. He was surprised to see LeBron waiting outside the venue with a few friends.
“When I got downstairs, that man was still downstairs in a suburban. He had like three or four homies with him,” Lil Wayne explained. “I was like, ‘This the dude?’ What I remember was his arm was in a cast, and they were protecting that, meaning they didn’t want it to be seen. That’s when I realized he must be somebody.”
Despite keeping LeBron waiting for over an hour outside, Wayne recalled that James had a great time at the show, making the night unforgettable for both of them.
Over the years, Lil Wayne and LeBron James have crossed paths numerous times. Notably, LeBron now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, a team Wayne passionately supports. In a previous interview in June, Lil Wayne praised LeBron James for his longevity and career achievements, ranking him above Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever.
“I got old enough to know how hard it is to do it back-to-back-to-back,” Wayne said. “That’s where he got his respect with me, and that’s when he’s the greatest. It’s very hard to do, and that n-gga Bron did that shit with three different teams.”
Lil Wayne’s admiration for LeBron James has grown over the years, and the two continue to share a special connection beyond their respective fields of entertainment and sports.
Check out Wayne recalling his first interaction with LeBron below.
