Warriors rookie left stunned after guarding LeBron in pickup

Golden State Warriors rookie Jordan Bell got a sneak peak of what's to come in June when the reigning champions inevitably face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bell, who was drafted for his defensive ability, guarded LeBron James in a pickup game and was left shocked as to how athletically superior James was.

"We had an open gym in LA, at UCLA, and I was guarding him the whole time," Bell recalled to Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area. "It’s different than what you see on TV. It’s way different."

Despite being a decade younger and being built in roughly the same dimensions as James, Bell found himself overwhelmed by LeBron's unbelievable combination of power, strength, and quickness.

"It’s crazy how big he is, how quick he is for his size and how smart he is. He was standing straight up, and I’m thinking he can’t go by me if he’s standing straight up. I’m in a good defensive stance. He’s not crouching.

"But there he goes. I’m not going to say he got by me, but I didn’t realize he was so quick. For him to be standing straight up, there’s no way he should be able to move that fast. I’d understand that quickness if he got lower, but I’ve never seen anybody so quick while standing straight up."

Bell also shared the court with Draymond Green, who is thoroughly familiar with James from their last three Finals skirmishes. Green advised Bell that James will simply have moments where he overwhelms whichever defender put before him, and that Bell should simply try his best to put a hand up and focus on the next play.

Nevertheless, the exhausting and deflating experience of checking James simply had Bell shaking his head.

"I just played the best defense of my life," Bell mused. "It didn’t matter."