The Cleveland Cavaliers rookie shared what its like facing NBA icons and learning from Harden
Tyrese Proctor can’t help but rewind back to his junior basketball days at the Sutherland Sharks when he’s featuring on the big stage and bright lights of the NBA, going face-to-face with icons such as LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Los Angeles Lakers on the road today, Proctor will line-up against the two superstars for the second time in his rookie season after facing them in Ohio earlier in the season.
The 21-year-old Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence alumni spoke about the “surreal” feeling of going head-to-head with the likes of James and Doncic on the most recent edition of the Cut to the Jase podcast.
“I mean, it’s kind of crazy, you look back and it’s like, I’m just a kid from Sutherland at the end of the day and now I’m out here playing LeBron, Luca, and guys like that,” Proctor said on the basketball.com.au show hosted by NBL legend Jason Cadee.
“It was a pretty surreal feeling.
“I mean, it’s LeBron James, especially for kids in my era. I mean, growing up, that’s who a lot of people would consider the GOAT and just being able to share the floor with him, Luka and those guys, it was really cool.”
Proctor also called being part of the Cavaliers when LeBron returned, to play the team he took to a championship in 2016, and said it was “just a different feeling in the whole gym”.
As a young guard, Proctor couldn’t have many better players to learn off with Donovan Mitchell as well as 2018 NBA MVP James Harden, who arrived in Cleveland from the Los Angeles Clippers during the trade period.
The former Duke Blue Devil said he has already learned a lot off Harden.
“It’s been great. James is up there with the LeBron and stuff like that, like I I watched a lot of James Harden growing up, just the way he could score the ball. I mean he went through that MVP year that he had, I mean he was just total dominance,” Proctor said.
“I think the one thing that, not surprised me but I sort of respected from him was just how professional he is. Like everything he does, the way he carries himself, they way he plays he is at a really high level.
“I think I noticed that really early and I think for him he told us straight away, he just wants to win. Like he doesn’t care what happens, he’s at the point where he just cares nothing else but winning.
“So I think everyone respected that early on and I mean he’s been doing what he’s doing as soon as he got here. I mean he fit right in and it’s cool being able to share the court with him, just be around him, learn and just be a sponge.”
