LeBron James is entering his 24th NBA season, and his remarkable longevity continues to produce milestones that few could have imagined when he entered the league in 2003. Now with the Philadelphia 76ers, the four-time NBA champion has become a teammate of Jabari Walker, whose father, Samaki Walker, once played against a teenage LeBron.
The unusual connection caught the attention of NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter Tom Haberstroh, who highlighted just how much basketball history James has lived through.
LeBron James Becomes Teammates With Jabari Walker, Son of Former Opponent Samaki Walker
During Philadelphia’s preseason game against the Boston Celtics, Haberstroh revealed that he had spoken with Jabari about the unusual connection between his father and James.
“I got a chance to talk to Jabari Walker about being a teammate with LeBron because he is the first LeBron James teammate whose father played against LeBron,” Haberstroh explained. “This is historic.”
The connection goes all the way back to April 9, 2004, when James, then a 19-year-old rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers, faced Jabari’s father, Samaki, for the first time.
Samaki had entered the NBA in 1996, seven years before LeBron made his debut. The former first-round pick played for several teams during his 10-year career, including the Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, and Indiana Pacers, before leaving the league in 2006.
Roughly two decades later, his son found himself sharing the court with James.
Jabari entered the NBA as the Portland Trail Blazers’ 57th overall pick in 2022 after playing college basketball at Colorado. He even faced James during his time in Portland, with their first meeting coming on Nov. 30, 2022.
Now, the two are teammates in Philadelphia. Walker joined the Sixers on a two-way contract in July 2025 before earning a standard NBA deal in February 2026.
Meanwhile, James arrived several months later in free agency, bringing his decorated career to Philadelphia after years with Cleveland, Miami, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The two first shared the court in Philadelphia’s second preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets, before Haberstroh drew attention to their connection during the team’s fourth preseason outing against Boston.
The Sixers lost that game 125-120 in overtime, with James recording 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Walker contributed 13 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.
The result left Philadelphia with three losses in four preseason games, but the father-son connection was another reminder of just how long James has been around.
In October 2024, James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game. Two years later, the league’s all-time leading scorer is sharing a locker room with the son of someone he competed against during his rookie season.
James has won four rings, collected four MVP awards, and played through multiple generations of NBA talent. At 41, he is preparing for another season while many of the players he faced early in his career have long since retired.
Philadelphia opens its regular season against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.