Rockets Tari Eason Faces LeBron James During Pro-Am Contest

Back in his hometown, Houston Rockets Tari Eason participated in Seattle's Pro-Am contest highlighted by future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James.

HOUSTON — Houston Rockets rookie Tari Eason participated in Jamal Crawford’s Pro-Am league, The CrawsOver Saturday evening. Eason was one of several NBA players putting on a show for basketball fans in Seattle before Crawford called the game off due to safety precautions. 

The cancellation of the game left fans and players disappointed, but Eason managed to walk away as one of the biggest winners. By participating in the Pro-Am game, Eason had an opportunity to meet his childhood idol, LeBron James. 

Per his mother, Teroya Eason's Twitter account, Eason did not shy away from guarding James on the defensive end. The chance to defend the future Hall-of-Famer is an opportunity Eason has visualized since he was three years old. 

Eason's defense forced James to miss a contested 3-point field goal attempt. Following a rebound from Orlando Magic's rookie Paolo Banchero, Eason converted a dunk attempt assisted by former NBA All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas. 

He said “Mom I told ‘em I’m on Bron. I knew he wanted the rack. I know his whole bag. There’s NOTHING he can’t do. I’ve been defending him in my mind since I was 3” Y’all, this was the greatest moment of my sons life. And it’s not even close. pic.twitter.com/LLoyTXZzi0

— MOMSTER “Tea🫖” (@teroyaeason) August 21, 2022

Eason was two years old when James began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Eason witnessed James go from an 18-year-old phenom who surpassed lofty expectations as a rookie to arguably the greatest player in league history. 

Eason will face James for the first time on an NBA level on Jan. 16 in a road match against the Los Angeles Lakers inside Crypto.com Arena. At that time, James would be in striking distance of surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record to become the NBA's all-time leader in points.

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