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“Dagger Dudz!”: LeBron James Hypes Up Jared Dudley for His Clutch Three-Pointer

Published 12/17/2020, 2:46 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Lakers are playing as if losing isn’t a word in their thesaurus anymore. First, they won both their preseason games against the Clippers without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Now, they’ve comfortably defeated the Suns with a significant contribution coming from the bench.

Out of all the names on the rotation, the one name that took the largest piece of praise in this game was Jared Dudley. The veteran forward player made just one notable shot, and that was all it took for him to bask in glory.

LeBron James gave Jared Dudley a hyped-up shout out

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The Lakers defeated the Suns 112-107 in their third preseason game and their first one against Chris Paul’s new side. Interestingly, during the 4th quarter with just 55 seconds remaining, Jared went for a three-pointer and connected it well. This clutch shot sent an adrenaline rush into the bench that roared and praised it. ed – 

LeBron James also uploaded the shot on his Instagram story to further help the hype spread. Such a flurry of praise for one shot in a preseason game explains how the team culture backs its players.

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Apart from this, it was a game that belonged to Kyle Kuzma and his newly found stupendous form. The youngster scored 23 points with four three-pointers and further proved he can deliver from the frontline.

Why is Jared still important to the Lakers’ squad?

Earlier, President Rob Pelinka’s announcement surprised some fans as they re-signed Jared Dudley for another year. The forward, whose contribution from the bench remained minimal, has already played for seven franchises in his 13-year career. He averaged a career-low 1.5 points last year in the 45 games that he played. 

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So what was it that compelled the Lakers to keep him on the roster? Well, the answer lies in his leadership abilities. In the locker room, Jared is a well-respected entity who is known for contributing to the growth of Kyle Kuzma. A team player is not just someone who goes out and delivers in numbers. At times, these intangible additions also make a bigger impact, and that is something that has already been on display.

Read also – Lakers’ Anthony Davis & Montrezl Harrell Continue Their Hilarious Banter on Social Media

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Written by:

Sourabh Singh

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Sourabh Singh is an NBA sports analyst for EssentiallySports, who has been working with the site since May 2020. Prior to this, he functioned as Managing Editor at WittyFeed, followed by a stint at Decathlon. The Sports Management graduate leads an active lifestyle, veering to the mountains for off-trail adventures.
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