LeBron James on Thomas Bryant: ‘One of the most skilled bigs in this game’

LeBron James praised Thomas Bryant’s performance after he scored 29 points and 14 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-134 win over the Sacramento Kings 136-134 on Saturday night for their fifth straight victory.

James, who finished with 37 points, said Bryant had taken advantage of Anthony Davis’s absence to show off his skills.

“Thomas (Bryant) is definitely taking full advantage of this opportunity. And he’s a guy who plays extremely hard, knows how to play, and probably one of the most skilled bigs in this game. He catches everything. He finishes everything around the rim. But he also has a soft, soft touch from the mid-range and from the three point line. And he’s just has a motor and he’s just a huge motor that there’s just always going on both sides of the floor. I’ve always worked well with guys like that. Guys who always put themselves in position and the trust that he has with me, with Russ (Westbrook), you know, we always looking for him, especially when he has mismatches down there and he’s still in the paint. And I’ve already kind of have visions of what that could possibly look like with the front court of myself, A.D and Thomas on the floor together. You know, I think it could be extremely beneficial for our ballclub, but also at the same time just, you know, staying in the moment, you know, and we just trying to hold it out till our big guy comes back. Thomas has definitely done his part and we’re all trying to chip in”, James told reporters after the game.