Fansided

LeBron James has career advice for Trae Young

By Brad Berreman

NORMAN, OK - FEBRUARY 05: Trae Young
NORMAN, OK - FEBRUARY 05: Trae Young /
facebooktwitterreddit

Trae Young has become a star at Oklahoma this season, and LeBron James had some clear thoughts regarding a big decision Young has to make about his future.

The Oklahoma Sooners are No. 23 in the country entering Tuesday night’s game against No. 7 Texas Tech, as freshman guard Trae Young leads the country in scoring (29.5 points per game) and assists (9.4 per game). No player in college basketball is as important to his team as Young is to the Sooners.

Young looks like a slam dunk to enter the NBA Draft after the season, and he will obviously have an official decision to make about that. But none other than LeBron James thinks there isn’t much of a decision for Young to make.

Speaking ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James was asked a question with a local angle about Young’s looming decision to go pro.

"What decision? That ain’t no decision. That’s like saying if I’m waking up this morning. That ain’t no decision. Brushing my teeth, that ain’t no decision. He better go pro."

James surely echoes most people’s sentiments by declaring Young “better go pro” and “that ain’t no decision” as a matter that should be routine or obvious. Young’s stock may never be better; he’s a projected early lottery pick in June if he does declare for the draft.

Returning to Oklahoma for his sophomore season would really only hurt Young, while unduly creating an injury risk.

Young’s game (97 three-pointers made this season; 38.5 percent from beyond the arc) and physical build (6’2″, 180 pounds) has invited easy, truly unfair comparisons to Golden State’s Steph Curry. Young has pointed to his affinity for the two-time NBA MVP’s offensive game, and as a player that would become similar size Curry seems to have been an easy role model.

Next: The Step Back's 2018 NBA Draft Big Board: Version 3.0

If Oklahoma’s season ends in disappointing fashion, or Young suffers an injury between now and then, returning next season could become palatable for him. But going pro after one great season is a no-brainer right now.