SUMMARY
- LeBron James recently stated that his new podcast is supposed to help people see basketball from a different perspective.
- He believes the sport is slowly losing it's essence and meaning, which is what Mind the Game aims to bring back.
LeBron James is someone who has shown a deep love for the sport of basketball. For example, the 4x NBA Champion experienced one of his most disheartening ends while the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. After they got swept by the eventual champions, James left everyone with a cryptic retirement message. However, he claimed that he was discouraged at the time.
Episode 1 of Mind the Game is live on all platforms! @mindthegamepod @KingJames @uninterrupted @ThreeFourTwopro
YouTube link here https://t.co/opyJbe5jEV
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) March 19, 2024
All it took was a slight nudge to get him right back on track. James was eventually reminded of why he loved returning to the game every year. The 20x All-Star also puts in a lot of work to maintain his physical condition. He believes to be king, one must treat the body like a king. The love he has for the sport keeps overflowing. And in year 21, it seems like he plays the game just the way he used to when he first fell in love with it.
LeBron James wants people to experience why he fell in love with basketball
LeBron James has worked on a few podcasts before, most notably on Uninterrupted. He recently launched another podcast series called Mind the Game. He got to share the story behind the idea of the podcast and it mainly revolves around how he views the game himself.
He told Jovan Buha, “I feel like we was losing the essence of the game of basketball, and the true meaning behind the game of basketball… I was getting frustrated with the daily comparisons… Obviously, you’re going to hear it when you go to the Barbershops. But when you’re hearing it every day on national television I felt our audience needed a different approach in understanding the true essence of the game.”
I asked LeBron about what sparked the idea to launch the “Mind The Game” podcast this week and why he partnered with J.J. Redick: pic.twitter.com/lrp4aPeUp5
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 25, 2024
Obviously, the game has evolved ever since he came into the league. LeBron James came from an era in which basketball was solely appreciated as a sport. But nowadays, basketball also involves a lot of off-court and business issues that tend to drown out the true excitement the sport brings.
LeBron James believes JJ Reddick is the perfect co-host for Mind the Game
Chasing JJ Reddick also had some significance toward the aim LeBron James had in mind for his podcast. He claimed that Reddick possessed the same attitude and love for the sport as he does. “You have someone like JJ Reddick who has the same mindset about the game of basketball, very smart. Fell in love with the game for all the right reasons. This is something I’ve been thinking about for quite a while. JJ was just… it was just perfect timing,” he told Buha.
Reddick and James have already released an episode together. During the episode, they discussed various things happening in the league, more about how the game has evolved since the early 2000s. The podcast is a perfect blend of serious discussions and stories from the past that would get your mind churning.