Livingston picked the Wildcats over Tennessee State and Georgetown on September 15.
If Chris Livingston’s impact on the hardwood in Lexington next season is as immediate as the impact picking Kentucky had on his social media numbers, John Calipari should be well positioned for a national title run.
“The coaches told me about the impact coming to Kentucky would have on my social media,” Livingston said. “So, I expected it a little, but I didn’t know it was gonna be to this level.”
In less than an hour, Livingston added more than 1,000 followers and has multiplied that by more than 10 since he announced the decision with Sports Illustrated on September 15.
“It’s been really crazy since I committed,” Livingston said. “I’ve just felt a lot of love from the fans. I see why they’re considered to be the best fan base in college basketball.”
Still, of all the well wishers best commitment, Livingston said his coolest congrats came from LeBron James.
Livingston and James built a relationship by virtue of them both being from Akron and being considered top players in their respective classes.
LeBron was considered the No. 1 player in the country in 2003, Livingston is a shoo-in for the top 10 when the SI99 for 2022 is released later this year.
“LeBron is the greatest basketball player so whenever he takes the time to reach out it means a lot,” Livingston said. “I really appreciated it. I didn’t talk to him before my decision, but I feel like he would’ve approved of it. I know he likes Coach Cal a lot, so I feel like he probably would’ve told me Kentucky would be the best option.”
Livingston picked the Wildcats over Tennessee State and Georgetown, joining Shaedon Sharpe and Skyy Clark to give Kentucky the No. 2 class in the SI All-American team rankings for 2022.
“It’s a big relief to be able to just focus on getting better,” Livingston said. “I’ve got a big family behind me now, and that only makes me want to go harder to get it done the first year I get there. That’s the only goal.”
