After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas to win the NBA’s In-Season Tournament Championship, Lakers superstar LeBron James issued a strong statement on small forward Cam Reddish.

LeBron told NBA reporter Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report that Reddish was the player he wanted to have the platform of the In-Season Tournament to showcase his skills.

LeBron James told me Cam Reddish is the player he wanted to have this IST championship platform to showcase his skillset: “People were writing him off. I’m so happy he got to experience this and perform. I believe in him.”

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 10, 2023

The Lakers signed Reddish to a two-year, $4.6 million contract this past offseason in unrestricted free agency.

Reddish is averaging 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.4 steals this season while shooting 40.9% from the field, 31.4% from beyond the arc and 85.3% from the free-throw line.

The Atlanta Hawks drafted Reddish with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke. The forward has played for the Hawks, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Lakers.

Reddish appears to have found a home in Los Angeles.

“Cam is great,” LeBron said. “He has a knack for just being around the ball, getting deflections. I guarantee in the minutes that he’s played, he’s probably one of the league leaders in deflections, steals. Anything around the ball, he’s just really good.”

Reddish is glad he signed with the Lakers, who are 14-9 on the season. They are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

“I haven’t had an atmosphere like this I don’t think in my entire NBA career,” Reddish said last month when asked about his Lakers experience thus far. “It’s been a lot of fun. A blessing. I’m just looking forward to the future.”

Reddish grew up a LeBron fan. Now, the youngster has a chance to win a championship with his idol.