“We love shutting up opposing crowds so they can get no sleep at home”: LeBron James explains the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and other basketball legends

LeBron James was on live TV (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) last night, hosted by legendary Cleveland-born comedian Arsenio Hall.

James may not have been hoping for the abrupt end that the Lakers faced in their first-round playoff elimination, but being in the Finals this year has been a blessing in disguise for The King.

He’s now got time to go all-out while promoting Space Jam: A New Legacy. With the movie set to release in theaters worldwide by this weekend, James is engaged in promotional campaigns and has been making public appearances.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! has hosted Los Angeles-based sports stars all through the history of the show. It was but a matter of time before LeBron made his appearance on one of the most popular television shows.

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LeBron James describes how he derives pleasure from shutting up crowds on the road

If you had to pick one player to play a Game 7 on the road, it would probably be LeBron James. The phrase ‘video game numbers’ is often overused by sports fans, but James’ numbers in such games deserve this heady praise.

Kawhi vs LeBron stats in game 7

Kawhi stats:
5 Games
(3 W, 2 L)
20.4 PTS
9.2 REB
2.2 AST
1.2 STL
0.4 BLK
40.0 FG%
24.1 3FG%
73.3 FT%

LeBron stats:
8 Games
(6 W, 2 L)
34.8 PTS
9.8 REB
5.6 AST
1.7 STL
1.3 BLK
48.6 FG%
33.3 3FG%
77.8 FT% pic.twitter.com/jUjOX3YFlw

— Yonas Lodewijk Situmorang (@odikyonas) September 17, 2020

The greatest night of his career came on the road at Oracle Arena, famed for their high-decibel support during the Warriors’ peak days. James embraces the role of a villain and seems to feed off all the hate he gets from opposing fans.

Arsenio Hall’s first question on the night alluded to how greats like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan seemed to feed off crowds in the same way. James took us through his mentality and how the tension of those moments fuels him:

“No, absolutely. I mean, you just said it. To feel that adversity, to feel that tension is what brings out the best in us. So your whole motivation besides trying to win the game obviously is shutting up the opposing fans and opposing crowd. And making them go home and get no sleep.”

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