Jalen Hurts has proven the doubters wrong.

And after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to the team’s first NFC Championship Game since 2017 following a 38-7 victory over the New York Giants Saturday night, Hurts received validation from an unlikely person — the Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Yeah like they were saying. Anybody would look great at QB for the Eagles.. yeah ooook. HATERS MAN!! Jalen Hurts is SPECIAL. 🤡’s

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 22, 2023

What Jalen Hurts can do as a leader

Hurts was instrumental in the Eagles’ dismantling of the Giants. He threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 34 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

The dialog all season was that Hurts was a system quarterback more so than being the system. In the playoffs, that notion has proven untrue. His precision broke the spirits of the Giants early. And the offensive onslaught kept New York out of the game all night.

Hurts’ importance was noted by Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, who, after the game, compared the quarterback to Michael Jordon.

High praise for Philadelphia’s MVP is only fair. After the season he’s put together, coupled with his impressive performance in the playoffs, the Eagles are only scratching the surface of what they could be for years to come.

“I love the fact that we are starving. We are not just hungry for it. We are starving for it. We’re starving for growth. I think there was motivation as a team to come out here and play our best ball. Sometimes you’ve got to be careful what you wish for.”

-Jalen Hurts pic.twitter.com/DpdwbTu5r2

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 22, 2023

Hurts has changed the culture in Philadelphia. He’s brought a winning mentality and the team is fully behind him. Silencing the haters was step one. Now, Hurts is receiving validation from some unlikely places.

He deserves it.

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Feature image via Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports