“I don’t study anything… It’s a growth mindset for me. Every year, I’m always just trying to improve.” humbly said LeBron James, speaking of his mindset. While the 20x NBA All-Star may have polite answers about his mentality, his teammates know better. Especially, from the era when prime Bron went after the overpowered Golden State Warriors, in which he managed to win the 2016 championship. Interestingly, King James’ former Cavs teammate drew a comparison with Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality. 

One of the most famous terms in the sporting world is the Mamba Mentality. To be more precise, the business heads have even slid it into the corporate setup. It’s nothing but a relentless mindset to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness that Kobe always carried throughout his career. So speaking of the Lakers legend, former player Trevor Ariza, who has played alongside both Mamba and Bron, had an interesting take.

Featuring in the latest podcast episode of Iman Amongst Men, Ariza delivered a lesson that he learned from Black Mamba. The 39-year-old said, “One thing that I learned from him. He was always thinking of the next play, the play, and or two plays… He’s like a boxer.” Ariza further added how Kobe Bryant would pick the patterns by anticipating the upcoming plays and knocking out his opponents at the end.

Listening to it on the other end, the show’s host, Iman Shumpert, who won a championship alongside Bron in 2016, made a divine interference. The 34-year-old said, “That’s how LeBron does things and instead of boxing, I always thought of LeBron as a good card player.” Following that, Shumpert went on to add how Akron Hammer’s mind worked when it came to deciding a shot. Moreover, this seemed to have played a huge part in the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ effort to dismantle the Golden State Warriors.

How did LeBron James’ mindset help the Cavs win over the Dubs?

So, in the 2010s, the Warriors ruled the NBA world with the likes of Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green. Moreover, the team even produced a historical record of 73-9 in the regular season. Right when everyone expected the Dubs to effortlessly win the title, LeBron James & Co. came in as a kryptonite. The Cavs produced a magical 1-3 comeback in the Finals and won the championship.

Iman Shumpert, speaking of Bron’s mindset, revealed how the superstar worked toward keeping the opponents under pressure. Iman added how Bron urged his teammates to shoot 3s despite down the defense if they had a deficit in odd numbers. The former teammate further added, “It depends on whom we are playing. We play Golden State, he say, ‘Go get that for sure and I’ll put the pressure on them’.”

It’s an inspiring story indeed featuring how LeBron James dominated his opponents not only with his athleticism but also with mind games. It did fetch him a ring against the mighty Dubs. However, even the superstar couldn’t stand a chance after Kevin Durant‘s inclusion on the roster. Nevertheless, James compensated it with a championship in his Lakers’ era. What do you make of LeBron James’ mindset? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.