LeBron James stands as a towering figure of greatness, talent, discipline, and unwavering dedication to his craft in the league. His 21-year illustrious career, laced with four championships, a record 20 All-Star game selections, four NBA Finals MVPs, and four NBA MVPs, will attest to it. At 39, an age when many athletes begin to slow down, James continues to defy the relentless march of time, delivering exceptional performances night after night.
While his natural gifts certainly contribute, his meticulous pre-game preparation also plays a key role in his sustained dominance. This relentless work ethic not only fuels ‘The Chosen One’ but also inspires his teammates to strive for excellence. Except for maybe Dwyane Wade, but there’s a genuine reason.
The LeBron James effect
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In the recent episode of Playmaker, Mario Chalmers, who played alongside James for four years in Miami Heat, unveiled a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the four-time champion would infuse energy into the team before games with elaborate warm-up sessions. However, Dwyane Wade’s nagging knee issues prevented him from joining those early shootarounds. “Like for D-Wade he tried, but his injuries his knees everybody knows about his injuries, and stuff wouldn’t allow his body to be fully functional, you know, at 9 o’clock in the morning at shoot around like it would at 8 o’clock at night for a game,” said the former Heat guard.
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Wade’s knee problems surfaced even before he entered the league, and his choice to undergo knee surgery in 2002 to rush back to playing for Marquette might have sacrificed additional prime years of his NBA tenure. Nevertheless, despite the chronic knee issues, D-Wade made an enduring impact in the league, securing three NBA championships and culminating his career with a well-deserved induction into the Hall of Fame.
However, while Wade couldn’t participate in these sessions, James knew how to keep the energy levels within the team high. “Bron would be that one to like if it is a little sluggish he’ll be yeah, ‘let’s go.’ He’ll do some type of dunk or something to get everybody like woke up, like, all right, here we go now. It’s a kickstart to the engine and everybody’s going now,” revealed the 37-year-old.
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Another of James’ former teammates, Thomas Bryant, emphasized how the King’s intense pre-game workout regimen had a ripple effect on the rest of the team. Witnessing one of the league’s greatest players approach pre-game preparations with such dedication inspired them to elevate their own efforts, energizing the entire team. “Bron was like really warming up with it, and it was just like, ‘Oh, shoot damn alright bet.’ So everybody started warming up really like everybody was just like, let’s do it,” said Bryant, who previously played with James as a Laker.