LeBron James will be remembered for many things in the basketball universe, but Space Jam: A New Legacy is not one of them. The sequel to the famed Space Jam starring Michael Jordan was not as well received as the original, but that didn’t stop King James from putting in the work, both on and off the film set.
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Trainer Chris Johnson, who worked with LBJ during SJ: A New Legacy, recently appeared on Dwyane Wade’s The Timeout program and recounted the four-time NBA Champion’s incredible work ethic.
A prideful Johnson stated that LBJ built out his own gym and would start lifting weights as early as 4 am before they trained together at 5:30 am.
The thing that Johnson remembered the most was LeGOAT’s consistency. He mentioned that after their routine concluded at about 7 am, the future Hall of Famer would then go shoot his scenes for the less popular Space Jam, 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 stated. “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 wasn’t finished. He 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 listen like “a sponge” even though he already knew the answers, and teach others when the moment presented itself.
Above all other training, LeBron James believes in sleep
One aspect of James’ health regiment is how much focus he puts on sleep. The King’s personal trainer, Mike Mancias, told Netflix for its Starting Five documentary series how important LBJ’s rest is to him. “We tried it all in 20 years. But the most important thing is what he gets for free, and that’s sleep,” Mancias stated.
King James himself backs this up. On the same series, he 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,” James preached. “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.”
One of LBJ’s narrated lessons includes him breaking down how 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. As a result, even at 40, he is still showing youngsters how it’s done.
