Talen Horton-Tucker had a dream start to his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Orlando Magic selected Talen Horton-Tucker with the 46th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Horton Tucker, 19, played limited time with the Lakers. THT won the NBA championship in his rookie year, so it was worth it.
It’s no wonder LeBron James once believed THT was special, but the former Lakers guard is now out of the NBA.
The 2020 Los Angeles Lakers were led by the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who carried the bulk of the organization’s offensive and defensive workload.
Back to Horton-Tucker, he remembered how special James’ one gesture made winning the 2020 NBA Championship special for him.
“They literally just gave it to me. I didn’t even ask to hold the title. They were like, ‘Taro, come here and hold the trophy,'” Horton-Tucker said during a Basket News film session.
“Then we started posing for pictures and it was a good moment,” he added.
This is a great way to ensure that rookies don’t feel out of place and can absorb the feeling of being an NBA champion.
After all, THT became the second-youngest player in league history at the time to win an NBA championship.
During the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Horton-Tucker appeared in just two games for the Lakers during the championship period.
This wasn’t surprising since THT is a rookie and the Lakers already had multiple veterans playing in the postseason.
As a result, Horton-Tucker revealed that many were dissatisfied with the 2020 championship celebration.
“I remember not playing in the finals. I was in the playoffs, but I didn’t play in the finals. So everyone would think, ‘Oh, I didn’t play, so I don’t deserve to be here and I don’t deserve to have as much fun as I want.’
“But these guys, just who they are and who they are, gave me a trophy to photograph,” THT further told Basket News.
All things considered, Horton-Tucker seems to be loving every moment of his 2020 title run with the Lakers. THT has signed a contract with Fenerbahce in the Euroleague, so he will have to prove himself again.