Basketball legend LeBron James showed major respect for Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry after the NFL star attended the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
Following the game, James called Henry “my favorite player in the National Football League,” leading to a postgame meeting between the two athletes.
Physicality, longevity, winning mindset. Makes sense.
This isn’t the first time James has praised Henry’s dominance on the field. During an “Thursday Night Football in The Shop” appearance, James highlighted how the former Tennessee Titans star redefined the running back position.
“For years, they always used to say that running backs that size or that tall couldn’t survive,” James said. “And obviously Eric Dickerson kind of changed that too because he used to run straight up, he changed that. But then King Henry changed it in a whole other fashion because not only is he as tall as Eric Dickerson, he’s built like a linebacker.”
What’s more, James also broke down Henry’s relentless playing style, adding: “He runs in between the tackles, he can run outside the tackles. And then he gets on the edge, it’s either going to be a stiff arm or he’s gonna run around you. … One thing about King Henry is he gets stronger and stronger and stronger as the game goes on.”