In making back-to-back, game-sealing plays during Super Bowl LVI, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald helped solidify his status as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
But one of the greatest NBA players of all time went a little farther with his assessment of Donald’s career on Wednesday night.
After going shirtless in the Rams’ victory parade and rally, Donald showed up — with a shirt on — for a courtside seat at the Crypto.com Arena for the L.A. Lakers’ 106-101 victory over the Utah Jazz. After the game, LeBron James embraced Donald and the two shared a few words.
“He’s the greatest defensive player I’ve ever seen play the sport,” James said in his postgame press conference. “And I’d say him and Lawerence Taylor, but I didn’t get an opportunity to see Lawrence Taylor play. He’s the greatest defensive player I’ve ever seen. Before I started watching Aaron, I always thought it was Ed Reed or [Troy] Polamalu. But Aaron Donald’s the greatest I’ve ever seen on that side of the [field].
“But obviously just being here [in L.A.] and watching him over the last few years and just seeing how he’s able to dominate a game, not only with one guy on him — two guys on him, three guys on him, you get a running back chipping him sometimes and he’s still able to get to the quarterback, get to the running back. And obviously [in] the Super Bowl, those last two plays were spectacular that he made — stopping the third-and-[1] by getting a tackle on a guy and then the fourth-and-1 being able to get to the backfield and make Burrow throw an ill-advised pass.
“But for him to come here, obviously he’d had the parade, and that looked amazing, looked like those guys had a great time. And for him to just take time out of his day to come here and watch us play, I just tried to take the inspiration from what he’d accomplished over the last few days.”
Donald finished the Super Bowl with four total tackles, two tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and three quarterback hits.
And if the whole basketball thing doesn’t work out for James, he might have a future in football commentary.
LeBron James: Aaron Donald is the greatest defensive player I’ve ever seen originally appeared on Pro Football Talk