NBA veteran compares one college basketball phenom to LeBron James

Senior Editor
NBA veteran compares one college basketball phenom to LeBron James image

NBA veteran CJ McCollum has seen a lot of rising stars come and go, but few have made as lasting an impression on him as Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson. McCollum, who grew up near Peterson’s hometown of Canton, Ohio, didn’t hesitate when asked about the Jayhawks phenom’s potential.

“I think he could have played in the NBA last year, to be honest with you,” McCollum told SI's Kevin Swinney. “He’s going to have a special career… and I hope that when it’s all said and done, it’s LeBron [James] coming out of Ohio and then you’re talking about him.”

Peterson, 18, has emerged as the next great Ohio-born basketball prodigy. The comparison is not made lightly in the home state of LeBron James. At nearly 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Peterson combines explosive scoring instincts with an unshakable work ethic that’s caught the attention of NBA player development coach Phil Beckner, who has worked with stars such as Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“When he walked in the gym, it gave me goose bumps,” Beckner recalled of first seeing Peterson at an AAU tournament via SI. “There’s just something different about him.”

Peterson’s journey began under the watchful eye of his father, Darryl, a former Akron standout who pushed his son to take the game seriously. By middle school, Peterson was already training daily, and during the pandemic, he turned gym isolation into opportunity, honing his game while others rested.

Now the highest-rated Kansas recruit in nearly a decade, Peterson has impressed coach Bill Self with his humility and drive. “He wants to be pushed every day,” Self told Swinney. “He’s as good a player as I’ve ever coached.”

For McCollum, the comparison to LeBron isn’t about hype, but more about legacy of what's coming next for the Jayhawks star. “He’s wired the right way,” McCollum said. “Ohio breeds greatness, and Darryn’s next in line.”

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Staff Writer