The San Francisco 49ers might be the most complete team in the entire NFL playoff field. After their monstrous defense humbled the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card Game on Saturday, they seem poised for yet another deep playoff run.
But the X-factor in any fruitful January for San Francisco is Brock Purdy. After a sterling performance where Kyle Shanahan unleashed the rookie’s deep ball, and he broke an NFL rookie playoff record, Purdy became the talk of the NFL world.
One particularly notable person, NBA star LeBron James, took note of Purdy balling out as the 49ers advanced to the Divisional Round:
PURDY GOT GAME!!!!!!!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 14, 2023
During his media availability after the 49ers’ rousing 41-23 win, a press member told Purdy that James had complimented his performance. The young Purdy — roughly 15 years younger than the 38-year-old James — almost seemed to be in disbelief one of the biggest names in sports had actually noticed him:
Game recognize game! pic.twitter.com/iYvyfkK0YR
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 15, 2023
Aw, look at the smile on Purdy’s face!
Something tells me this won’t be the last time a sports mega-star is taken aback by Purdy at the helm of the 49ers’ buzzsaw offense this winter.