During the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ series-clinching Game 6 road win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night, LeBron James hit the deck after Jabari Smith Jr. rejected him on the break.

Despite being robbed of transition points, James was beaming as Houston Texans star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. helped him up from the floor.

Aside from his game-wrecking pass-rushing ability, Anderson is now famously known for his uncanny resemblance to Bronny James.

LeBron James and Anderson dapped each other up before James returned to what became a 98-78 victory, in which the 22-time All-Star piled up 28 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds.

Here’s another view of the humorous run-in:

“What was the moment like?” James said postgame, via the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Alexander. “The moment was pretty cool. Yeah, I just said it was good to see him.”

Then James said facetiously: “That’s my fourth child. Yeah, him and Bronny are twins, and don’t nobody know it. Me and Savannah have been trying to keep it under wraps for a long time.”

That remark drew laughter from reporters surrounding James’ locker. James, basking in a first-round playoff series victory at 41 years old and in his NBA-record 23rd season, smiled while quickly following up his joke with the obvious clarification.

“But nah, no disrespect to his parents — his real parents,” James said, still grinning. “Let me not get that started.”

The internet ran with the Bronny James-Will Anderson lookalike meme after Anderson signed his three-year extension that’s reportedly worth $150 million and made him the new highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Once he put ink to paper, the 24-year-old Anderson got in front of the camera for a video the Texans proudly posted on social media. In it, the 2025 first-team All-Pro says that he’s “here for a good time and a long time,” alluding to his new deal in Houston.

That short, close-up clip set the stage for an array of side-by-side comparisons with who else but Bronny James.

The Texans are in on it now, too.

After dropping Games 4 and 5 and watching their 3-0 series lead shrink to 3-2, the Lakers bounced back in Houston to deliver a Game 6 win.

James rose to the occasion, as he’s so often done during the four-time NBA champion’s career. Postgame, he was quick to recognize the greatness of a fellow athlete.

“Unbelievable football player,” James said of Anderson. “Deserving of everything that he’s got. It was definitely dope to see him.”

The Houston Rockets looked poised for a favorable first-round matchup against a depleted Los Angeles Lakers squad missing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to begin the series, with LeBron James at 41. Unexpectedly, Kevin Durant missed five of six games due to a bone bruise, leaving Houston without its star. The Rockets pushed the series to six games but ultimately fell short, scoring just 78 points in the series-ending loss to LA. Durant’s absence highlighted the central tension of Houston’s season — relying on an aging star and raising questions for fantasy managers heading into next year.

Let’s recap the Rockets’ season and look ahead to 2026-27.

Durant carried the load

Durant appeared in 78 regular-season games, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, 1.7 stocks per game with 52/41/87 shooting splits. Even at 37, he was an elite, stabilizing presence who kept the Rockets afloat through a season with several rough patches. Houston finished 52-30, fourth place in the West, but could easily have been higher in the standings. When Durant was healthy and locked in, the Rockets looked like contenders. When he wasn’t, the cracks showed fast — and the younger players didn’t do nearly enough to consistently pick up the slack. That’s the uncomfortable truth heading into the offseason. Depending on a player of Durant’s age to be your life raft every night is not a sustainable model and fantasy managers saw enough inconsistency throughout the year to view this team more as pretenders than contenders. Durant performed to his second-round ADP, ranking 21st in High Score and 17th in 9-cat leagues in his 18th NBA season. The efficiency and consistency are pretty remarkable at this age.

Houston has a point guard problem

This is the headline issue for fantasy managers. Fred VanVleet missed the entire 2025-26 season with an ACL tear. His absence alone exposed how dependent this roster is on having a true table-setter. Without VanVleet, the Rockets deployed the second-youngest starting lineup in NBA playoff history and leaned heavily on their young core to generate offense. The season-long experiment didn’t go according to plan.

Amen Thompson took over as the primary ball-handler for much of the season. While his decision-making and ball security still have some warts, he thrives as an off-ball slasher and roamer from the dunker spot, which helps raise his field goal percentage. His ability to attack without the ball and finish efficiently remains a valuable asset even as the team waits for VanVleet’s return. Still, Thompson was a strong fantasy asset in an expanded role, ranking inside the top 40 in both High Score and 9-cats leagues after averaging 18-7-5 with 1.5 steals per contest.

VanVleet is expected back next season, which matters — but until he proves he can return at full health, point duties will likely stay with a combination of Thompson, Alperen Şengün and Reed Sheppard.

Şengün and the frustrating core

Alperen Şengün once again did his thing, but the execution was at times frustrating. The counting stats are excellent across the board: points, rebounds, assists, stocks. He fills it up. It’s why he ranked 13th in High Score. But the problems are equally consistent: turnovers remain a real liability and his free-throw shooting continues to drag down his 9-cat value. When he’s efficient, he’s a top-30 asset in that format versus a top-60 guy.

Sheppard was one of my sleepers until I learned Ime Udoka didn’t trust him. Udoka pretty much waited until he had no other options in the backcourt before starting Sheppard and playing him 30+ minutes. I think he’ll be a more effective fantasy player if he gets 25-30 minutes next season as the sixth man. He’s a good shooter who generates stocks well for his size and just has to get more comfortable adapting to the physicality of the NBA. I could see him being selected by the 10th round next season with a more secure rotational spot.

Final Thoughts

VanVleet returns on an expiring contract, and his presence alone raises the ceiling of this team immediately. He’s a prime bounce-back target in fantasy — a reliable source of assists, 3s and steals who should be available in the middle rounds after a full year off. Tari Eason is a restricted free agent this summer and has been vocal about wanting an expanded role and a real payday — how that situation resolves shapes the depth of this roster considerably. Then you have to wonder, is Udoka’s job security actually secure?

KD, Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. are all locked in for at least two seasons, giving Houston a stable core, but extending Thompson should be one of their key focus areas. The wrinkle — what if a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available this offseason? These young rotational pieces become very attractive trade fodder. The Rockets have the assets and the cap flexibility to make a splash. Stay tuned.