Earlier this year, JJ Redick and LeBron James decided to break away from the NBA norm. The duo joined forces to co-host the Mind The Game podcast show to discuss the ‘X’s and O’s’ of basketball. Following the positive response around this brief collaboration, Redick finally revealed the inspiration behind this viral podcast.
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During a conversation with Hasan Minhaj, the 40-year-old discussed his long-standing desire to cover the on-court happenings in depth. This was further ignited after The Old Man and The Three podcast episode with Tyrese Haliburton.
A clip of them analyzing an in-game sequence received a warm reception from viewers. This consequently prompted Redick to consider this path, recalling,
“There is sort of the big picture… paying attention to what people say over and over again and there is these little moments where you’re like, ‘Uh, that worked’… So we did a Tyrese Haliburton… We randomly thought of this one play… that we both had seen in an Atlanta Hawks game… We just geeked out on it. We put the social clip up and people loved it… This is what people want… Let’s break it down for you”.
So, a moment of inspiration was enough for Redick to pursue his desire. The path became smoother when he onboarded James, who was eager to collaborate with the former NBA player. The duo co-produced the show to air its first episode on March 19, 2024, garnering 3.89 million views.
Following this remarkable success, there was no turning back.
What is next for Redick and Mind The Game?
In late June, Redick strengthened his bond with James by joining the Los Angeles Lakers as their new head coach. This increased the pressure on their shoulders, putting JJ in a tough spot. As a result, he eventually decided to discontinue his work in the media to prioritize coaching the franchise.
During his introductory interview as the new head coach, Redick revealed his stance, mentioning, “I am, for the time being, and hopefully it’s a very, very long time, I am excommunicated from the content space. There will be no podcast. I am done with podcasting for now”.
So, the future of the Mind The Game podcast is now uncertain, as James is unlikely to continue without Redick by his side. That said, their short time together had a significant impact. It offered insights into the game while creating a blueprint for success in the media.
Consequently, anyone interested can build on this success, extending the show’s legacy.
