As Jalen Hurts prepares to lead the Eagles against the 49ers in a much-anticipated rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game, he got some inspiration by doing something he had never done before.
Hurts attended the Philadelphia 76ers-Los Angeles Lakers game on Monday and met Lakers superstar LeBron James for the first time.
He later reflected on meeting James, praising the basketball icon for how he has transcended his sport.
“I never had been able to see LeBron play, never met him,” Hurts told reporters this week. “I mean, he’s so transcendent in terms of the things he’s been able to do on the court, off the court. He’s changed the game in so many different ways. Just thought it would be cool to come see him, and obviously have the opportunity to meet him.
Hurts also brought his father Averion Hurts, a high school football coach in their native Houston, Texas area and also a longtime James fan, to the game and sat courtside with him.
“I wanted [James] to shake my dad’s hand, too,” Hurts said. “That’s a guy that my dad has watched, being an older guy, watched him grow into the monumental figure he is now. And he’s been doing it for 21 years, 22 years, something like that.”
James is in his 21st NBA season. He’s also an avid NFL fan and showed love right back to Hurts after video of Hurts praising him surfaced on social media.
The rest of the night was not as memorable for James, as the Lakers suffered a 44-point loss to the 76ers — the worst loss a team with James has suffered in his NBA career.
The Eagles hope for a similar result against a star-studded team from California against the 49ers on Sunday, aiming to increase their NFL-best record to 11-1.
