LeBron James is famously a huge fan of Halloween. He throws annual parties for his teams that feature elaborate costumes, yet on Sunday, it was someone else who managed to steal the show while James was helping his Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Houston Rockets. A photograph taken during the showed an incredibly eerie sight: James on the floor, but with a fan sitting in the stands directly behind him that looks exactly like him.
That fan is former NBA player Patrick Christopher. He went undrafted in 2010 and played for the Utah Jazz briefly in addition to a number of non-NBA teams. He is not currently in the league, but his brother, Rockets rookie Josh Christopher, is in his first season. That is likely what drew him to Staples Center on Sunday night. The elder Christopher grew up in Southern California and played collegiately at Cal, so it was likely an easy trip for him to watch his younger brother battle the Lakers.
Yet it was his uncanny resemblance to James, a player who entered the NBA seven years earlier yet still managed to outlast him, that made him a minor internet celebrity for the evening. Even LeBron himself commented on the picture after he saw it.
If Christopher had looked more like LeBron on the court, he’d probably still be in the NBA. Alas, he’ll have to settle for his new role as the king’s unofficial body double. The work isn’t quite as profitable, but it’s far funnier for the fans.
