Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has long been a huge supporter of Ohio State University athletics. The college is one of the most successful athletic programs in the country, regularly producing big stars in a number of sports and one of the best young stars in football comes from the program in Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The Texans took Stroud with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and he has played a huge role in turning around the team. Houston won just three games last season but have already surpassed that mark midway through this year and Stroud looks like a lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

With the Lakers recently in Houston during their road trip to play the Rockets, LeBron had the chance to spend a little time and talk with Stroud. Following the contest, James spoke on how special he believes Stroud is, noting that he has long seen what he can do and now the city of Houston is witnessing it as well,

“I think he’s already into his own. I think you guys here are just now seeing it. We’ve been seeing it for a long time in Northeast Ohio of what he brings to the football field, but more importantly what he brings to the community as well. We’ve seen it and you guys are now finally getting the opportunity to see how special of a kid he is. I think the skies the limit for him and they got a great one here.”

In just eight games, Stroud has thrown for 2,270 yards and 14 touchdowns with just one interception. He is on pace to have the best rookie season by a quarterback in NFL history and continues to turn heads with each passing week. But none of this is a surprise to LeBron as the Lakers superstar has been watching him dominate for years.

Unfortunately, Stroud didn’t get to see a spectacular James outing on that night as the Lakers were blown out by the Rockets. But the fact that LeBron believes so strongly in Stroud says a lot about what he does both on and off the field.