James called time on his second stint with home state franchise the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to enter free agency.
And he decided to leave the Eastern Conference to head to California and link up with the Lakers.
LeBron James comes with the pedigree of having reached the playoffs for 13 straight years – three of which ended in winning the NBA championship.
The Lakers, though, have not played beyond the regular season since 2013 and have a roster full of inexperienced young pros.
Walton has now lifted the lid on how the Los Angeles Lakers have reacted to James’ arrival behind the scenes.
And it sounds as though they have not been overawed by playing alongside the man some consider to be the best basketball player ever.
“They seem to love that,” Walton said, when asked how his team have responded to the pressure and expectations that come with teaming up with James.
“It’s not like: ‘Oh my God, this is going to be crazy.’ It’s like: ‘This is awesome. This is how we want to play. This is what we’re about.’
“I think that’s why we’ve been so high on the young core we have. They love the game of basketball and they want to win.
“I think they see the additions we added to the team this summer and how that helps our chances, and they’re excited.
“You don’t want them to be in awe. I mean, obviously we all respect that he’s one of the greatest players our game has ever had.
“But as team-mates and peers, you want guys that are going to be out there to make plays next to him. Not just throw him the ball and hope that he gets it done.
“There’s definitely a respect that you see. When he’s talking in practice, they’re listening. He’s leading the team with the way that he’s practicing, the way that he’s communicating. They all follow his lead.”
At 33, James is running out of time to follow in Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s footsteps by securing five championship rings.
But this season he will be out to get as close to another one as possible to further bolster his legacy.
James and co. start the NBA campaign on Thursday night when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers.