No matter how great one is at their craft, self-doubt will inevitably creep in at some point. That’s just human nature, but what makes someone truly great is how they’re able to manage it. LeBron James has done just that over the course of his long and illustrious career, and he spoke about how preparation helps kill self-doubt on his Mind the Game podcast.
“There’s no way the human mind, in competitive sports or in life in general, that you just don’t have self-doubt,” James said. “And that’s okay. And I think for me how you manage those thoughts is by one, if whatever that you’re doing, whatever field that you’re in and ours happen to be professional sports, if you know that you’re giving the time to the process and you’re putting in the work in order to get the results, then you’re okay with whatever happens, the win, the loss, the draw, whatever the case may be.
“The uncomfortable nights would happen if you did not put in the work, and you’re not seeing results,” James continued. “That is more self-doubt than anything. Because you were expecting results from things that you haven’t put in the work… If they’ve put in the work and the time on their craft, then the self-doubt will trickle its way out more often than not.”
If you do things the right way, you can live with the consequences. It’s kind of the approach James has taken late in games. The 41-year-old always makes the play and is willing to live with whatever the result is.
James has always been far more process-oriented than outcome-oriented. It’s part of why he has had so much success in his career. James has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, one scoring title, and one assists title. While his approach towards dealing with self-doubt was on point, he also acknowledged that he has benefited from having the support of his loved ones.
“Also helps to have a support system, too,” James said. “I think that’s very important… When you have that self-doubt, if you can have someone to kind of be like, ‘Hey, this is what I’m feeling. Hey, what’s your intake? What’s your take on it? How would you handle it?’ So, I think that helps too.”
James has been able to count on his friends and family’s support every step of the way. He hasn’t done it all alone.
James’ family will also end up having a say in what he does this summer. He made it clear that their opinions will be a big factor in determining whether he keeps playing or walks away from the game.
Playing for 23 seasons has meant James hasn’t been able to devote nearly as much time to his family as he’d have liked. You’d imagine they wouldn’t stand in his way if he wants to continue, but they would have a right to.
James is still good enough to keep playing. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26. James even led the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs before the Oklahoma City Thunder swept them in the Conference Semifinals. Here’s hoping we see more of him, but time will tell.
