The Indiana Pacers fell short of becoming the first team to eliminate LeBron James in the first round of the playoffs, but they still earned the respect of the best player in the world.

After beating Indiana 105-101 in a hard-fought Game 7, James had nothing but praise for the Pacers, who proved themselves to be a legitimate threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ streak of three straight NBA Finals appearance.

James spoke highly of Victor Oladipo in particular after going toe-to-toe with the Pacers star. Oladipo put together his first All-Star campaign this season and has turned into one of the brightest talents in the league.

“They had a snake in Vic. Unbelievable jump from last year to this year,” James said.