“LeBron James Is Probably My Biggest Influence”: Odell Beckham Jr. Revealed the Positive Impact the Lakers Superstar Had on His Career

Last year, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. revealed the biggest influence in his career. And it wasn’t any NFL great who motivated him the most. The NBA All-Time Leading Scorer, LeBron James, admittedly turned out to be the 31-year-old’s biggest motivator. In a 2023 interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Beckham Jr. claimed that he has matured and grown a lot in the past few years. He credited his friend LeBron James as the biggest influence responsible for molding him into a better person.

OBJ admitted to Eisen that after “messing up”, as a youngster, he realized that one has to take ownership of their actions. Instead of “complaining about first-world problems”, Beckham Jr has learned that he should focus his energy on improving himself constantly. While being “fiery” in the field,  OBJ had also realized the value of showcasing “gratitude“. In that journey, he admitted that James has played a vital role. 

Subsequently, Rich Eisen asked the 2021 Super Bowl champion what he and LeBron talked about as he recovered from various personal failures. “He’s just someone who obviously, LeBron is probably my biggest influence that I have watched,” declared the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver. 

OBJ then pointed out how James doesn’t even play football like him. But while watching the hooper, the Ravens star learned how to carry himself. He added, “The way that he’s carried himself, the way that he approaches the game. The way that he never cheated the workload regimen.”

OBJ called LBJ a “positive” and “impactful” presence in his life because personal conversations with the latter have helped him focus on his game as well as off-court commitments such as family. Beckham Jr. could relate to LeBron’s personal experiences that the Lakers superstar shared with him. In other words, the NFL star found LeBron to a positive male figure in his life who helped him find his purpose in life.

LeBron James credited Michael Jordan as a big influence

In a 2023 NBA on TNT segment with “Coach K” Mike Krzyzewski, LeBron James once opened up about the biggest influences in his life. He listed Michael Jordan and Deion Sanders as the two biggest impact makers in his life. As a person struggling with poverty, James needed someone who could lift his spirits and inspire him to pursue his craft vigorously.

“I[LeBron James] looked for someone in the sports world, being an underprivileged kid in the inner city of Akron, Ohio, for inspiration. So I looked for a couple of people. One was Michael Jordan. Another was Ken Griffin Jr. And another one was Deion Sanders,” James disclosed to Coach K.

While recognizing the “exceptional talent’ of these top athletes, LeBron also found “joy” in the manner in which they played and dominated the game. Considering the burden of finding such immense success, James had to be “committed’’ to be on the top of the game. For that ascension, Jordan and Sanders provided the fuel.