Coming into the NBA as a young player often tests your resolve. Can you handle the bright lights? Can you handle the harsh workouts and grueling hours? Most importantly, can you handle meeting your idols and matching up against them as if they were any other player? Kelly Oubre Jr. has some advice for the younger generation of ballers regarding that last question, and he used a highlight play involving LeBron James to drive his point home.
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While on House of Highlights, Oubre was shown a play of his when he was with the Suns, where he drove past James and dunked the ball on JaVale McGee. When asked if the mystique of facing an all-time great like James ever goes away, Oubre had wise words for the current rookie class.
“I mean obviously, LeBron is one of the greatest basketball players of all time,” he said. “If you’re like a deer in headlights and you’re looking at these guys at a young age like this, and you’re a fan or you’re underlying like scared, you’re cooked.”
His secret to not getting overwhelmed? Don’t give James (or any other legendary player) that much respect on the court, and just treat them as if they were any other player. “It’s me versus you, and my team needs to score,” he said. It’s a healthy mindset to have. And Oubre is certainly not the first player to adopt it.
Kobe Bryant used to go extra hard in games against Michael Jordan, purely because Jordan was his idol, and he wanted to show him that he wasn’t going to be overwhelmed by the occasion. Even the Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin famously said, “He (LeBron) is gonna have to show me he’s better than me.”
As for the mindset that Oubre mentioned, there really is no better way to make sure you don’t get caught out when facing these legendary players. Putting the team above your personal feelings not only allows you to overcome the monumental occasion of facing these Hall of Famers, but also helps with team spirit.
