Rui Hachimura says working out with LeBron James made him more confident this season
After his first full season as a Laker, Rui Hachimura reflects on the time LeBron James poured into him during the offseason and throughout the year.
With the Lakers re-signing Rui Hachimura last offseason, the optimism was that the team would maintain continuity, take the best parts of the 2022-23 Lakers and catapult themselves into championship contention.
The running-it-back nature started during the summer with LeBron James working with Hachimura and giving him a new nickname during the process. And the results were seen during the season.
That aforementioned continuity, however, didn't result in Hachimura picking up where he left off as his minutes began in the teens and he didn't secure the starting spot for the Lakers until February.
The Lakers' inability to jump in the Western Conference standings and develop off of last year's success is one of the many reasons Darvin Ham was fired after two seasons.
In a season that will be known more for what wasn't accomplished than what was, Hachimura provided a kernel of optimism in his exit interview, discussing how James has helped him.
"Last year, I spent a lot of time with him, work out with him," Hachimura said. "Especially with him, I feel like he doesn't work out with other people. I was really appreciative of the time and the energy he spent with me. I learned a lot of stuff. I think I was able to use that this season. I kind of watched him closely. Working out with him made me more confident. Just throughout the season, me and him's chemistry got much better than last year I feel like. I see his basketball IQ and all that. It's an honor to be around him, his journey and playing with him."
When one of the best players of all time and a leader of the Lakers puts time and effort into you that they usually don't, it has to boost your confidence.
Hachimura has shown the ability to be a sponge and be coachable as a Laker. He's speaking fondly of his growth and work with LeBron here. Even Phil Handy asked Ham to let him work with Rui Hachimura after the trade.
Now that Handy and all the other Lakers coaches are gone, Hachmura will have to find some new mentorship. However, based on his previous eagerness to work and grow with the NBA's best, that shouldn't be something he'll struggle with, regardless of who the Lakers hire as their next coach.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.