At 40 years old, LeBron James’s only concern is the NBA playoffs and leading the Los Angeles Lakers to another championship. In a recent segment with Steve Nash, the 4x champion explained his leadership style and how he keeps his team in the right mindset during even their toughest challenges.
“Until you get four wins, it’s never over. I know we’ve never had a team come back from 3-0, but it’s always a chance. I’ve seen it in baseball happen before, I’ve watched guys come back 3-0. It’s going to happen. So until you win four games in a postseason, it’s not over. So, it doesn’t matter if you go on the road and beat the team by 25 in Game 1. Game 2 is going to be the hardest game that you have to play. They’re mad, they’re sitting at home and pissed about the game that they lost.”
As an NBA veteran for 22 years, LeBron has been in almost every situation imaginable, and he knows what it takes to succeed when the stakes are highest. According to James, the key to achieving playoff glory is staying even-keeled through the entire ordeal and not letting emotions dictate judgment.
“You have to stay even-keel. You have to get your friends and family out of your ear. You have to get off social media because everybody’s gonna praise the sh*t out of you like you just won the greatest thing of all time. You have to just be able to get away from it all.”
After losing in 2011 and 2015, LeBron used the experience to better himself, and he became a more effective leader in the process. This year, as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron is once again calling the shots, and he’s making it a point to make sure all of his teammates are focused on the right things.
“The regular season is you building up the habits to get to the postseason. You’re hoping that you’ve discussed and instilled enough habits to where this is what we’re gonna lean on in the playoffs. It’s gonna get more fine-tuned, a little more intricate in how we do things, but we’re hoping that we build those habits.”
LeBron has been working closely with head coach JJ Redick all season to help the team develop championship habits. With smart and selfless basketball, the Lakers found an effective rotation with solid chemistry on both ends of the court.
Going into Game 2 against the Timberwolves tonight, the Lakers are preparing for a critical fight that may just determine the series. With physical play and size down low, the Timberwolves had their way against the Lake Show, but LeBron will no doubt make some adjustments for the games ahead, and he’ll make sure his team is ready to respond.
To date, LeBron has only been swept twice in his career, but a loss tonight will set him on track for a third. After preparing all season for this moment, the Lakers cannot fail now, but James will not allow himself to feel the pressure. This series is still anyone’s to win, and the key to success for the Lakers will be maintaining their focus and composure through the entire ordeal.
