If there’s anyone qualified to judge the best plays in basketball, it’s LeBron James. A veteran of over two decades, and arguably the greatest player of all time, he’s seen it all. In a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast with fellow legend Steve Nash, LeBron dove deep into the mental side of the sport, how players should think, adapt, and anticipate before a play even begins.
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Nash posed a question asked by a fan to Bron. It was about the importance of drawn plays versus letting the star lead the offense freely. This fit perfectly for a podcast centered on cerebral hoops. James, a basketball junkie, jumped right in with an opinion.
Immediately, Bron admitted that he loves ATOs, referencing “after time out” actions. These are those dead-ball situations where a well-drawn play can change the momentum in favor of the team executing it flawlessly.
“You draw the play to start the game…you draw the play to start the second half,” the four-time MVP said. For LeBron, it’s about more than executing a play. It’s about disrupting defensive rhythm. “Throughout the course of a game, when timeouts are happening, great ATOs [that] catch the team off balance… It’s something I think is really cool and really dynamic.”
LeBron respects a good play when it works. “I’ve always acknowledged if the coach draws up a play and we go out there and execute,” he said, “[I’ll say to the coach] that was some good **** right there,” he added.
But drawn-up plays only work when the right players are executing them, and the Los Angeles Lakers legend made that clear. “Throughout the course of the game, being able to have the personnel” determines whether a set breaks a defense or fizzles out. The wrong group can kill the play before it even starts. James pressed on, saying, “You have to have that player… that person who is an extension of the coach.”
That guy can’t just run the set. He has to read the game and take command. “If you have that player who can not only get himself going but also put the guys in position of how we want to execute and play…then you know you let him go.”
Drawing a play is one thing. Feeling the tempo, reading coverage, and feeding teammates in their spots? That’s a whole other mindset. “You trust [the player] and play out of principle…play out of space. This is how we want to play. You know that he’s going to put guys in position to not only help the ball club but help his guys on the floor individually, too.”
Then he delivered one of basketball’s eternal principles: “Know your personnel.” Coaches (as well as Chicago Bulls commentator, Stacy King) shorten it to “KYP,“ but LeBron treats it like gospel. “If you got that guy, then you know…I think it depends on the personnel. It depends on your personnel.”
He tied it all together with one final thought: “Having a coach who can draw up a great ATO after a timeout…you know [to] catch a team off balance…I think that’s pretty cool, too.”
