Walton: LeBron brings all the qualities of Kobe, Steph

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton has played with and coached some of the best players the game has ever seen.

The 38-year-old was alongside Kobe Bryant when the Lakers won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 and oversaw the rise of Stephen Curry as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.

Each put their stamp on their respective clubs, and Walton believes LeBron James is doing just that through 27 games in L.A.

"I think (with) every team, part of their identity is who their best player is. That's what made Steph such an incredible leader, is that he was so unselfish and humble," Walton told The Athletic's Sam Amick. "What made Kobe unbelievable, on the other side of the spectrum, is he was a cold-blood killer, and we all felt like, 'Come mess with us,' right? So you take on that identity. And LeBron is a flat - he just wins. He loves winning. He loves competing.

Walton believes James belongs "near, if not at the top" of the list of people he's worked with.

"He's all of it. He's selfless. He's a cold-blooded killer. He's a teacher. He's a 'ball-buster," said Walton. "Like, he kind of embraces all those types of leadership abilities, and obviously it takes time - and we've got a long ways to go, still - but you can see the group starting to build that confidence together. Again, he's a big part of the reason why."

Entering Thursday's slate, the Lakers sit fifth in the Western Conference - just one game back of first - with a 17-10 record.

James leads the team in points (28.3), rebounds (7.7), and assists (7.1) per contest.