LeBron James will be remembered for many great things in the basketball universe, but Space Jam: A New Legacy would not be one of them. The sequel to the famed Space Jam starring Michael Jordan was not as well received as the original. But King James had put in the work, both on and off the film set.
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James’ work ethic is stuff of legends. He believes that “you’ll only get out of the game as much as you put into it”. It is with this mindset that he works on his fitness and other aspects of the game day, in day out, throughout the 22 seasons he has played in the NBA. He approached the Space Jam shoot with a similar focus.
Trainer Chris Johnson, who worked with LBJ during the movie shoot, appeared on Dwyane Wade’s The Timeout podcast recently and recalled the four-time NBA Champion’s incredible training routine. The thing that Johnson remembered the most was the Lakers legend’s consistency.
Johnson stated that LBJ built out his gym and would start lifting weights as early as 4 am before they trained together at 5:30 am. He mentioned that after their routine concluded at about 7 am, James would go shoot his scenes, which took up the entirety of his day.
“We would start about 5:30. He would be done about 7, then he would work 15-16 hour days,” Johnson said. “But the amount of work, and the detail of work. Every morning to commit to be there at four in the morning. Lifting, preparing.”
Johnson also praised LBJ for his vivid attention to detail, specifically during gym time. He said that James acknowledged every person in the gym every time he entered it. He would tune in and absorb like “a sponge” even though he already knew the answers. He would then teach others later when the moment presented itself.
Above all other training, James believes in sleep
One aspect of James’ health regimen is the focus he puts on sleep. The King’s personal trainer, Mike Mancias, told Netflix in its Starting Five documentary series how important rest is for LBJ.
“We tried it all in 20 years. But the most important thing is what he gets for free, and that’s sleep,” Mancias stated.
On the same series, James opened up about why sleep outweighs any exercise and helps keep him in peak physical condition.
“Sleep is the best recovery that you can have,” LeBron explained. “It’s basically equivalent to you putting your phone on a charger when you go to bed. Am I able to do it every single night? Of course not. But if you try to get the most sleep that you can get, that is the only way you’re gonna get back to 100 per cent.”
LBJ believes that proper rest helps him grow stronger, both mentally and physically, before a big game. James has clearly put a lot of effort into understanding how to keep his body and mind at its prime. No wonder he is still showing youngsters how it’s done, even at 40.
