LeBron James and JJ Redick came up with a surprise for the fans on Monday after they announced their collaborative podcast, ‘Mind the Game’. This new show intends to discuss pure basketball- from plays to diving into the intricacies of the sport, from the professional perspective of the two players with high basketball IQs. One of the core aspects that James and Redick discussed in the first episode was “What Makes a Great Basketball Player?”
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This question was posed by Redick to LeBron James, who gave an elaborate and insightful answer drawing from his 21 seasons in the league. ‘The King’ listed three aspects – knowing the sport’s history, discipline, and love for the game as the primary requirements to become a great player.
According to James, players must know the game’s history to become a great player. Not many get to do what they love for a living. However, it’s essential to be grateful to the ones who paved the way for the current generation of players to shine the brightest in the league. James named his influences, mainly Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell, who inspired him to pursue his love for the sport at the highest professional level.
The next thing James talked about was discipline and love for the game. To be a great player, the 4x champion added that players sometimes must sacrifice time with their loved ones and love every intricate aspect of the sport rather than just loving the competition.
For James, loving the sport means maintaining a strict workout and training regimen, being the last to leave the gym, thinking about the game beyond the competition, and having the knack to better themselves with each passing moment. Most importantly, players need to maintain consistency, which would pave the way for them to achieve greatness. On that note, James said,
“If you want to maximize everything that you have with your career and your ability, then squeeze the f**k out of that limit. Why not?”
The topics that LeBron James and JJ Redick discussed throughout the episode are worth gold for anyone wanting to learn more about basketball. The duo is expected to release further podcast episodes of ‘Mind the Game’ every week. Indeed, with the level of knowledge being dispensed by the two NBA veterans, the podcast would surely be one of the biggest hits in no time.
LeBron James speaks from years of experience in the league
LeBron James has consistently been an All-Star throughout his career, having 20 selections over the past 21 years. He has played with over 85 different players in the All-Star games and has noticed the consistency of what makes players great.
From his experience, James used the example of how he would see an All-Star colleague for one to two years in the All-Star locker room but wouldn’t find them in the locker room in the subsequent seasons.
James tried highlighting how important it is to remain consistent throughout one’s career to qualify as a great. All of James’ words were from his experiences in the league and his long-spanning 21-season career. Perhaps the King is the best person to speak about consistency, given the records he has set in the league, which are well beyond anyone’s reach for the longest time in the future.
