Khalil Tate runs upfield to congratulate Thomas Reed III aft the offense put together a last minute drive to score at the end of the University of Arizona's spring game in Arizona Stadium, Saturday, April 14, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
Tate grew up in L.A., and he’s a huge Lakers fan. He was understandably thrilled when they signed LeBron James, who was among many to give Tate a social-media shoutout after his record-setting performance at Colorado last year.
“It’s great,” Tate said. “We had a few down years. We’re a championship contender now.”
James’ arrival has been met with disapproval by some Lakers diehards, who have expressed their displeasure by vandalizing murals depicting him in a Lakers uniform. Tate understands where they’re coming from, although he doesn’t agree with their stance.
“People always compare Kobe (Bryant) and LeBron,” Tate said. “Then LeBron comes to the Lakers, which nobody would have ever thought.
“Some fans are just kind of disappointed in the situation. I think when the season starts up and we start winning games, they’ll forget all about it.”
