LeBron James is known for his relentless preparation, commitment to greatness, and longevity that have redefined NBA history. But according to former teammate and longtime friend Anthony Davis, part of that greatness might come with one of the most bizarre pregame rituals in the league.
Now with the Dallas Mavericks, Davis recently opened up during an interview about a strange aspect of LeBron’s pregame routine, without directly naming him but leaving no doubt who he was referring to.
“One guy I know, the greatest of all time, if not the greatest. So once he gets to the arena, takes his entire uniform, from the jersey, the shorts, the socks, the shoes, everything, and lays it on the floor. And no one can touch it. And it’s like, it became a thing where you can’t even walk over it.”
What might seem like superstition to some has clearly become ritual for LeBron. The tradition is so sacred that if anyone steps over the gear, James demands a completely fresh set, right down to socks and headband.
It’s a practice deeply personal to James, possibly a way to mentally lock into game mode by visually manifesting what he’s about to embody: the uniform, the mission, the mentality.
This is hardly LeBron’s only quirky habit. His iconic chalk toss at the scorer’s table, a nod to Michael Jordan’s old hand-chalk routine, has become one of the NBA’s most recognized pregame images.
And throughout his 22-year career, LeBron has kept an intense and detailed regimen that includes stretching, mobility work, hydration prep, and pregame visualization. But laying out his uniform like a sacred artifact might top the list of eccentricities.
What makes this revelation even funnier is Davis’ delivery. The two share a deep bond that wasn’t broken even after the Lakers traded Davis to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic earlier this season. Davis had high praise for LeBron, both as a teammate and a friend, but couldn’t help poking fun at his ceremonial pregame setup.
The timing, of course, adds an extra layer of humor. Davis now suits up for a rival Western Conference contender, yet he’s still spilling inside stories about his former Lakers partner.
Despite turning 40, LeBron continues to put up elite numbers. In the 2024–25 season, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, then elevated those numbers in the postseason to 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.
Whether it’s the chalk toss, the layout ritual, or just the iron-willed work ethic, something is clearly working.
And as for Davis, who averaged 20 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks with Dallas despite limited availability due to injury, it seems he’s still having fun sharing old war stories from the purple-and-gold days.
LeBron’s peculiar uniform-laying ritual might raise eyebrows, but if superstition fuels sustained dominance across two decades, who’s going to argue?
As Davis summed it up, weird or not, ‘You just don’t mess with the king’s routine.’
