High school senior Alex Franklin shares surreal experience of working out with LeBron James: “It’s crazy the mind he has with basketball”

Southampton High School senior Alex Franklin had a moment he will never forget after he worked out with LeBron James right inside his school gym. The legendary Los Angeles Lakers star recently stopped by Southampton for a private workout, and Franklin got the rare chance to share the court with one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Speaking to Greater Long Island on Wednesday, the high school guard opened up about what it was like training with LeBron up close.

“It’s crazy the mind he has with basketball, it’s ridiculous,” Franklin said, in awe of LeBron’s high-level understanding of the game.

In the video reposted by SportsCenter on Instagram, Franklin described how smoothly things went, even from the first greeting.

“You know, he greets me like a normal person, he's a normal human guy, he's a normal guy, great guy,” Franklin said.

“He just greets me, dabs me up, and like, ‘let's get started.’ So I just hop on the other side, rebound for him, he gets his shots up. When he's done, I'm up next, I'm getting my shots up.”

It was a dream come true for the young guard and yet another example of how LeBron continues to inspire the next generation.

“Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick, Kevin Love, Kyle Kuzma, Draymond Green — they’ve all worked out here during previous summers. Draymond was here last summer,” Southampton Athletic Director Darren Phillips told Greater Long Island, noting that LeBron is not the first NBA star to use the school's gym.

Over the years, LeBron has mentored and motivated many young players, from running his “I PROMISE” School in Akron to offering words of encouragement during youth games.

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Alex Franklin breaks down lessons learned during session with LeBron James

Alex Franklin told Long Island about the lessons he picked up from NBA legend LeBron during their session together at Southampton High.

“He broke down a lot of the drills he was doing for me," Franklin said. "We went over comforts and weaknesses, how to read my defender. It’s crazy the mind he has with basketball — it’s ridiculous.”

Franklin is a 6-foot-3 point guard, who has just become a senior at Southampton, and he prepares to make the step up to college as part of the 2026 class.