Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images The showdown between No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Virginia brought one of basketball's biggest stars to Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, but Blue Devils star Zion Williamson apparently didn't know about it. ESPN cameras found Los Angeles Lakers teammates LeBron James and Rajon Rondo sitting along the baseline: When James was mentioned during his postgame media session, the freshman star said he was unaware of the four-time NBA MVP's presence. "LeBron was out there?" Williamson said after he dropped 18 points in an 81-71 victory, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "I didn't see LeBron." It's possible Williamson didn't see James, but it's also possible he was doing his best to not give the media anything to feed on. Unfortunately for the freshman star, one of his teammates suggested the Blue Devils were indeed aware James was in the building. "I mean, we noticed, but you definitely still got a game to win, so we're focused," Duke forward RJ Barrett said, per Medcalf. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski revealed that James gave him a heads-up that he might make his way to the game. Coach K noted that it was a "cool" move by the NBA star. The Blue Devils did an outstanding job of maintaining their focus despite the buzz surrounding both the contest and the celebrity appearance. Barrett (contest-high 26 points) and fellow freshman Cam Reddish (17) were on top of their games, as they combined for 11 triples. Video Play Button Videos you might like Duke shot an impressive 57.8 percent (26-of-45) from the field and 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from three-point range against a Cavaliers program known for its defense. Most notably, the freshman quartet of Williamson, Barrett, Reddish and Tre Jones were not intimidated by the spotlight. They combined for all but seven of the Blue Devils' 81 points. It was just Virginia's second loss of the season, and both have come against Krzyzewski's team. While James wanted to get a firsthand look at Duke, it may not be long before he is sharing a court with the Blue Devils stars. According to Bleacher Report draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman, Williamson (No. 1), Barrett (No. 2), Reddish (No. 4) and Jones (No. 17) are among the top prospects for the 2019 NBA draft.<doc-sep>With the NBA descending upon Charlotte, North Carolina, for this weekend's All-Star Game, a topic of conversation among the league's elite will be Zion Williamson, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, who is playing his college basketball about 140 miles away at Duke. Williamson already caught the eye of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who, alongside agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, close friend and associate Randy Mims and Lakers teammates Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Rajon Rondo, traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday to see Williamson and the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils beat the No. 4 Cavaliers. "It was a game between the [top] teams in the country," James told ESPN of his decision to jet down from Philadelphia the day before the Lakers played the 76ers. "Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] is my guy. And the flight was 35 minutes. So, it was easy. It was easy to be able to do it. It was my first time seeing Duke play, I think, in my life. I want to go to Cameron [Indoor Stadium] someday, too, though." For James, who had superstars like Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson come watch his high school games, it was a chance to bring things full circle. And while Williamson, and his soaring closeout block on Virginia's De'Andre Hunter, stole the show Saturday, James said the entire Duke team was impressive. It's a team that his oldest son, LeBron James Jr., could join someday, having already received a standing scholarship offer from Krzyzewski, according to sources. "I love what those young boys are doing over there," he said. "I love what Zion and RJ [Barrett] and Cam [Reddish] and Tre [Jones], I love what they're doing. So, [the trip] was a no-brainer. It was easy." With his 6-foot-7, 285-pound frame and all-around game, Williamson is drawing comparisons to the 6-8, 250-pound James as one of the best prospects ever to be on the NBA's radar. "What strikes me? His agility and his quickness," James said. "For his size, how strong he is, to be able to move like the way he moves, he's very impressive. I mean, everybody can see the athleticism. That's obviously, that's ridiculous. But the speed and the quickness that he moves [with] at that size is very impressive." LeBron James watches the action from underneath the basket as Duke and top NBA prospect Zion Williamson, right, take on Virginia last Saturday night. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports James also lauded Williamson's maturity, especially with how he responded to Scottie Pippen suggesting last month that he sit out the rest of his freshman season to avoid injury and protect his future earning potential with his draft stock already set. "I can relate in a sense of he's been covered since he was in high school and everybody is trying to compare him to the next this or the next that. But the best thing I've noticed is he seems like a good kid. He seems like he's got his head on straight," James said. "And when they asked him about, you know, guys in our league and people who cover our league talking about, 'If I was Zion Williamson, I would sit out for the rest of the year,' he was like, 'That's [silly]. Why? I'm here to play basketball. I love to play basketball. I'm here at Duke, I'm having fun. These are my friends. I'm having a great time. Why would I sit out?' "That's the type of s--- that strikes me. Everybody gets so caught up in the game itself. I look at the intangibles. And he seems like he has great intangibles and seems like a great kid." James and agent Paul took exception to anyone who thought the visit was a recruiting trip. "A recruiting trip? I didn't talk to anybody," James told ESPN. "They're only saying that because it's Rich. When Shaq came to see me play in high school, when A.I. came to see me play in high school, they weren't saying it was a recruiting trip then. But because it's Rich Paul and LeBron, now it's a recruitment trip. "Now Rich is a threat to everybody, and they look at it and they want to keep trying to jab my agent and jab my friend. And what is he doing that's wrong? They don't say that about no other agent when other guys go see [players]. They don't say that about no other agent, but my guy because he's a threat. "And he's African-American, too. Throw that in there." Paul pointed out how perception has changed since he and James attended college games in the past. "All I care about is respect," Paul told ESPN. "That's all. We were just enjoying a basketball game. Didn't talk to nobody. Didn't do anything or nothing. But it's an issue when you see several media people shining a light on it as if it's a negative thing. But when I was one of his homeboys, one of his 'posse' and we went to see Steph Curry in Detroit (for a Davidson-Wisconsin NCAA tournament game in 2008), nobody said anything. Nobody said nothing." Paul then discussed the coded language he has heard directed toward him throughout his career. "Think about it from this perspective," he said. "On one end, you got a 'posse.' Or they're 'leeches.' Years ago it was leeches or 'hanger-ons.' They're OK when they can call you that, but they're not OK when it's a CEO and you have the biggest superstar in the world supporting somebody that he trusts to do his business off the court and just who happens to be a friend." Since Williamson's game in front of James, the legend of the Duke phenom has only grown. He posted 27 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals Tuesday in a come-from-behind win over Louisville in a game the Blue Devils once trailed by 23 points. On Saturday, Williamson and Duke host NC State. There is sure to be plenty of NBA personnel on hand.<doc-sep>Duke freshman Zion Williamson — the 6-foot-7, 285-pound phenom who is widely expected to be taken with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft — has drawn comparisons to four-time NBA MVP LeBron James since high school. LeBron watched Williamson play in person when the Blue Devils traveled to Charlottesville to take on the then-No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena in February. After Williamson finished the night with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks, James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that he was taken with Williamson's "agility and his quickness" and his demeanor off the court. Zion Williamson has drawn comparisons to LeBron James since high school. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound phenom enthralled the college basketball world last season and enticed many NBA franchises with his rim-shaking dunks and high-flying blocks. He's been so highly-touted and so impressive while playing for Mike Krzyzewski's Duke Blue Devils, in fact, that James decided to go and have a look for himself. The four-time NBA MVP traveled to John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, to watch Williamson and the Blue Devils take on the then-No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers February 9. Williamson pitched in an impressive 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in Duke's 81-71 victory, leaving James with nothing but positive things to say about the presumed first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. "I can relate in a sense of he's been covered since he was in high school and everybody is trying to compare him to the next this or the next that," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "But the best thing I've noticed is he seems like a good kid. He seems like he's got his head on straight. "That's the type of s--- that strikes me. Everybody gets so caught up in the game itself. I look at the intangibles. And he seems like he has great intangibles and seems like a great kid." When it comes to the Spartanburg, South Carolina, native's impact on the court, James said he was taken with all that he can do given his strong stature. "What strikes me? His agility and his quickness," James said. "For his size, how strong he is, to be able to move like the way he moves, he's very impressive. I mean, everybody can see the athleticism. That's obviously, that's ridiculous. But the speed and the quickness that he moves [with] at that size is very impressive." Williamson wasn't the only Duke player James had his eye on that night. Freshman forward R.J. Barrett led all scorers with 26 points and seven rebounds on the night, while classmate Cam Reddish added 17 points on 5-8 shooting from beyond the arc. The fourth freshman in their class, point guard Tre Jones, leads the ACC with 5.6 assists per game and a 4.5 assist to turnover ratio. "I love what those young boys are doing over there," James said. "I love what Zion and RJ and Cam and Tre, I love what they're doing. So, [the trip] was a no-brainer. It was easy."<doc-sep>
Duke freshman sensation Zion Williamson is widely expected to become the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, drawing both attention from scouts and comparisons to many -- including LeBron James -- more than halfway through his season with the Blue Devils. James, who was recently on hand to watch Williamson in person, has been among the many who have noticed his special skills, too. "What strikes me? His agility and his quickness," James told ESPN of Williamson. "For his size, how strong he is, to be able to move like the way he moves, he's very impressive. I mean, everybody can see the athleticism. That's obviously, that's ridiculous. But the speed and the quickness that he moves [with] at that size is very impressive." James says Williamson isn't the only Duke star who catches his eye either, noting that his recent trip to Charlottesville, Va., to watch Virginia and Duke was a "no-brainer" decision both because of the talent on the court and logistically. "I love what those young boys are doing over there," James told ESPN. "I love what Zion and RJ [Barrett] and Cam [Reddish] and Tre [Jones], I love what they're doing. So, [the trip] was a no-brainer. It was easy." Comparing Williamson to LeBron would be getting over your skis, but the two are similar in a lot of ways. They were both famous high school athletes, they'll probably both (in six months) share the feeling of being No. 1 picks in the NBA draft, and both will have had high expectations as teenage stars tasked with changing the fortunes of the franchise that drafts them. "I can relate in a sense of he's been covered since he was in high school and everybody is trying to compare him to the next this or the next that. But the best thing I've noticed is he seems like a good kid. He seems like he's got his head on straight," James told ESPN. "And when they asked him about, you know, guys in our league and people who cover our league talking about, 'If I was Zion Williamson, I would sit out for the rest of the year,' he was like, 'That's [silly]. Why? I'm here to play basketball. I love to play basketball. I'm here at Duke, I'm having fun. These are my friends. I'm having a great time. Why would I sit out?' "That's the type of s--- that strikes me. Everybody gets so caught up in the game itself. I look at the intangibles. And he seems like he has great intangibles and seems like a great kid." For LeBron, things turned out OK despite immense pressures and expectations that followed him. And considering Williamson's status as a near can't-miss prospect, it's fair to assume Williamson will follow in his steps in that regard, too.