In his viral chat with Pat McAfee this week, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made it clear how he’s unlike most other players in the league. According to James, the same thing that makes so many media talking heads look foolish is the same thing that makes him effective in the NBA at 40 years old: a true understanding of the game.
“There are so many guys out there talking about basketball who don’t know the game,” said James. “It is every single day, and then you realize that a lot of those guys that played the game, or did not play the game, it was just that they played the game while they were talented. I don’t think they ever thought the game, I don’t think they were ever smart. I just think they were bigger and stronger and faster at the time, and they dominated, and when it was over, it was over.”
It’s hard not to think that LeBron is referring to guys like Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kendrick Perkins, ex-players who currently have prominent places in the NBA media. Those players primarily succeeded with their size, strength, and pure skill around the basket, but they didn’t last for long when those things started to fade naturally with age.
Today, those guys are the ones criticizing today’s stars without having the basketball knowledge to back it up. Comparatively, LeBron’s advanced knowledge of the game is the reason why he’s been able to play at a superstar level for the past 22 years.
“That’s why I’m able to still play at f*cking 40 years old, because I can out-think the guys out there,” said James. “As my athleticism has gone down a notch, not a lot, I’m able to still bring up other facets of my game to still do what I need to do every night.”
LeBron James sees the game three steps ahead of everyone, and it allows him to make plays others would have missed. Instead of just playing and coasting on his natural athleticism, LeBron thinks strategically about the game and how to handle every situation.
LeBron’s basketball IQ is ultimately the key to his continued longevity and why he’s built one of the greatest careers in NBA history. It’s why he’s averaging 24.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game at 40 years old.
Sadly, many NBA players lack this in-depth knowledge and rely on their physical gifts alone to succeed at the highest level. It’s only when they decide to become analysts after retirement that they get exposed for not properly knowing the game.
LeBron is uniquely gifted at the mental side of the game, and seeing the court like a chessboard has allowed him to maximize his impact on the floor. Recently, he started his podcast “Mind the Game” to change the NBA narrative, with the hope of getting more people excited about a deeper knowledge of the game.
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