- Rajon Rondo revealed that LeBron James’ mindset was to outcoach Erik Spoelstra
- LeBron James and Rajon Rondo both believed that defeating the coaching staff was key
- The Lakers won the 2020 Finals in six games
The Los Angeles Lakers won the championship in 2020, defeating the Miami Heat in six games. There is no doubt that they were a well-rounded team with several players with different skill sets. Most importantly, they had a lot of players who had a great understanding of the game of basketball, including LeBron James and Rajon Rondo.
Part of basketball is obviously mental, and knowing the opposing coach’s tendencies and schemes is important. In fact, in 2020, LeBron James’ goal was to try and out coach Erik Spoelstra, rather than focusing on defeating the Miami Heat players.
“This goes back to the bubble when me and Bron were in the bubble,” Rondo began. “We’re watching the game. I think it was Miami and Boston again. And we were sitting in the room watching the game, and like I said, it went down to the wire. So, Bron’s like, ‘If we get Miami, I got Spo, and if we get Boston, you got Brad [Stevens]. So that was kind of our mindset. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna beat the Heat, or we’re gonna beat the [Boston] Celtics.’ It was more so if we can outcoach or outplay the coaches on that staff in particular, which two guys we felt that we knew pretty good, we were gonna win.”
Rajon Rondo speaks on trying to outcoach Brad Stevens in the 2017 playoffs
The eighth-seeded Bulls led the first-seeded Celtics 2-0 but dropped the next four games after Rondo suffered an injury
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 29, 2023
Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the league, and it is fair to say that his Miami Heat teams have been consistently competitive. It is easy to see why LeBron James was trying to outcoach him, as he is the key to everything that the Miami Heat do on both ends of the floor.
It Takes A Lot Of Effort And Sacrifice To Defeat LeBron James In A Series
Though LeBron James and Rajon Rondo were obviously teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers, Rondo also faced James in the playoffs during his time with the Boston Celtics. He knows firsthand how difficult it is to go against him in the playoffs, and Rondo once revealed exactly what it takes to defeat LeBron James in the playoffs.
“That’s a tough question, it takes a lot of talented players around you… a team willing to sacrifice, understanding that the one guy they can’t stop. LeBron will take all five guys on the floor, the coaching staff, the waterboy, everybody.”
Ultimately, defeating LeBron James takes the whole roster, and everyone needs to be on the same page. It is definitely possible, but it is clear that it is far from being an easy affair.
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