JOINING a championship-caliber team like the LA Lakers can be intimidating, especially when you’re walking into a locker room led by LeBron James.
But for Rui Hachimura, his introduction came with something simple: a handshake.
Spotted by fans countless times doing his personalized greetings with practically every teammate, LeBron made sure Hachimura wasn’t left out of the ritual.
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Theirs stands out, ending with both players bowing with hands together.
Over multiple appearances, the two have shown a giddy, easygoing connection. Safe to say, while having a custom handshake with LeBron is a big deal for most, for Rui, it’s already part of the routine.
“Me and him just got it right away when I got here, I don’t know how it got to the point, but he just came up to me one day and he said, ‘Do this’, you know it’s nothing special,” he shared with SPIN.ph on Sunday after a preseason win against Golden State at their home arena, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
In that same game, Hachimura quietly put up 16 points, three rebounds, and two assists in the Lakers’ 126–116 win — another solid step for the Japanese forward entering his seventh NBA season.
Fans in the Philippines can catch more of these moments with Prime Video streaming NBA games locally, bringing the action straight to home screens.
The chill guy that he is, Hachimura had only one simple request to 'Bron.
“I told him, I don’t want difficult, complicated ones, so he gave me the easy one,” he added with a grin.
And for LeBron, now in his 23rd year, it’s another reminder that leadership isn’t just about points or rings. Sometimes, it’s about a handshake that says, you’re one of us now.
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