How Ziaire Williams feels about facing LeBron James after being teammates with Bronny James

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It took a while for Ziaire Williams to process what he just got asked. How did it feel knowing he could possibly play against LeBron James as an NBA rookie.

"Oh man, that's going to be a crazy night, man, for real," Williams said Friday. "That's crazy, that really just hit me right now. I'm really going to play LeBron."

The Memphis Grizzlies' first round pick in the NBA draft wasn't just in awe of facing James for the first time. To him, James is "Uncle LeBron" just like NBA legend Dwyane Wade is "Uncle D-Wade."

During Williams' senior season at Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, California in 2019-20, he played with Wade's son Zaire and James' son Bronny. At the time, Bronny James was a freshman while Williams was one of the nation's top recruits.

 The Memphis Grizzlies first round draft selection, Ziaire Williams, during a news conference at FedEx Forum in Memphis,Tenn., on Friday, July 30, 2021. Williams was the No. 10 pick overall in the first round of the NBA draft .
The Memphis Grizzlies first round draft selection, Ziaire Williams, during a news conference at FedEx Forum in Memphis,Tenn., on Friday, July 30, 2021. Williams was the No. 10 pick overall in the first round of the NBA draft .

He also got to know their parents pretty well and they, in turn, helped support him. Williams announced his commitment to Stanford through LeBron James' UNINTERRUPTED sports media company.

"When I first met them, of course I was almost like, starstruck," Williams said. "The moment you meet them, you forget honestly who they are because they're so down to Earth and so humble and so laid back."

He added that Wade reached out Thursday night to congratulate him on being drafted. Early Saturday morning, James sent out a tweet congratulating Williams on making it to the NBA.

"Congrats nephew!!!! Proud of you kid @therealZiaire! Enjoy the process and everything that comes with it!" James said.

It was strange to imagine playing the father of one of his high school teammates but Williams looked forward to it when the season begins in October.

"That's going to be a fun experience. I'm just trying to soak all of this in. I know I'm less than 1% of the world, the people who want to do this. So I'm really just blessed and honored and I'm going to take full advantage of the opportunity."

Follow Evan Barnes on Twitter: @Evan_B

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ziaire Williams said facing 'Uncle LeBron' James will be a crazy night