Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James offers high praise for NBA prospect following rape aquittal

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jun 14, 2024 2:26 PM ET

His son, Bronny James, isn't the only NBA prospect Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is keeping his eyes on less than two weeks before the 2024 draft.

The four-time MVP posted on social media on Friday, praising and offering support for Terrence Shannon Jr.

The former star Illinois guard was acquitted of rape and sexual battery charges in a Kansas courtroom on Thursday.

To my Young Terrance Shannon Jr! Love and Salute you! Proud of you!! God is Good!

The apologies should be 30X louder than the hate he got but we know how it goes. Anyways back to the regular scheduled program.

Great days ahead! ☀️☀️☀️✨✨✨
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 14, 2024

Shannon Jr. was first accused of sexual assault while visiting Kansas for an Illini football game in September 2023.

Due to the allegations, the 23-year-old missed six games during the 2023-24 season but ended the campaign on the All-Big Tenn first team and as the Big Ten Tournament MVP. Shannon Jr. was also a National Player of the Year contender entering the year before the allegations.

He spent three seasons at Texas Tech from 2019-22 before transferring to Illinois.

Shannon Jr. led the Illini to the Elite Eight during the 2024 NCAA men's basketball tournament and finished his final college season second in the Big Ten and third in the country in scoring at 23.0 points per game.

With the trial behind him, he's likely to be a first-round pick during the NBA Draft on June 26.

An ESPN mock draft at the end of May had Shannon Jr. being selected by the San Antonio Spurs early in the second round at 35th overall, but Thursday's news should positively impact the youngster's stock.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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