He idolized LeBron James, who he began following around age six and when James was a first-year NBA player with Cleveland. He also played with James on the Lakers in 2018–19.
He matched up against Markelle Fultz, who were among the nation's top point guards and projected to be among the top picks in the 2017 NBA draft.
He faced De'Aaron Fox in the Sweet 16, who scored 39 points for an NCAA tournament freshman record. Fox was also drafted in the top 5 in 2017.
He joined Ben Simmons, as the only players to record multiple triple-doubles within the first 20 games of their NBA careers.
He was often compared to Jason Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard who was also a triple-double threat. He also passed Kidd's record for assists by a freshman in the Pac-12.