Latest news with #MindtheGame
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
LeBron James on if NBA should give an Offensive Player of the Year award
In the NFL, a number of individual awards are given out each season that the NBA doesn't have. That includes the Offensive Player of the Year award, which is distinct from the MVP award. Historically, at least in the modern era, the NFL MVP has usually been awarded to quarterbacks. But the Offensive Player of the Year award often goes to a wide receiver or running back, and it makes a nice addition to one's resume. Some have wondered if the NBA should add an Offensive Player of the Year award to its list of annual individual honors. During a recent episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast, LeBron James wondered out loud about what the criteria for an Offensive Player of the Year award would be in the NBA. 'I did think about how the NFL does Offensive Player of the Year and MVP. I thought that could possibly be something in our league, where you give an Offensive Player of the Year and an MVP… It changes. It's like, OK, so is it the best player? Is it the player who had the best season with their team? Maybe that's Offensive Player of the Year. Or is it just simply the best player in the league, statistically this was the best player in the league. Obviously you're not going to have someone in there whose team didn't come close to making the playoffs … it's not the most valuable, then.' This past season, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the regular season MVP award, and he also earned NBA Finals MVP honors when his team won the world championship. But although he led the league in scoring, an Offensive Player of the Year award would've likely gone to Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, who became just the third player in league history to average a triple-double. If the NBA had an Offensive Player of the Year award, as the NFL has had for decades, there is no doubt James would've won at least a couple of them.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
"He Made a Mistake"- NBA executive claims staying with Los Angeles Lakers damaged LeBron James' career
LeBron James, Image via Getty NBA icon LeBron James knows the art of diverting media attention wherever he goes. The 40-year-old basketball star has been making headlines even during NBA offseason. According to the ongoing buzz, James' future with Los Angeles Lakers is quite uncertain. However, a prominent NBA executive claimed that LeBron James' stint with the Lakers has impacted his career negatively. NBA executive claims LeBron James' stint with the Los Angeles Lakers is his biggest career mistake From accepting the $52 million player option with Los Angeles Lakers, age factor to his uncertain future with popular NBA team, LeBron James has become the hotbed of discussion during ongoing offseason. He was drafted by the Lakers back in 2018 and the rest is history as he is one of the most bankable athletes in the particular NBA team. Reportedly, James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2003. A prominent NBA executive claims that LeBron James should have stayed with his original team Cleveland Cavaliers, instead of meddling with a player option. As reported by the Hoops Wire, the NBA executive mentioned- 'I'm not gonna sit here and tell someone to say no to over $50 million, but LeBron is a billionaire, man,' the NBA exec said. 'He has enough money and makes enough off the court. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo If I were in his camp, I would have told him to decline his player option with the Lakers and sign with the Cavs. That would have been the smart play.' He further elaborated- 'Do you know how dangerous Cleveland would have been? LeBron starting next to Donovan [Mitchell], Evan [Mobley], Jarrett [Allen] and Darius [Garland]? They would have walked to the NBA Finals and it would have been a storybook ending for LeBron to finish his career in Cleveland. I think he made a mistake.' Undoubtedly, it is next to impossible to imagine the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James. From being in the roster during the formative years to becoming one of the most reliable athletes in the club roster, LeBron James is not only a cornerstone of Lakers but also one of the biggest NBA icons in the current era. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James on the secret behind his great NBA career During the finale episode of Mind the Game, LeBron James opened up on the secret behind his great NBA career. According to the NBA icon, one needs to fall in love with the process, and the rest becomes easier for them. On being asked about the secret behind ringing in his 40s and still being one of the most bankable players, he said- 'I mean the process is the only thing that matters to me. You know, I think um when you fall in love with the process of what you want to do and that's with anything, that's not just basketball. That's what you guys are aspiring to do. You have to fall in love with the process. The end result will happen organically and it'll make it so much more worth your while when you fall in love with the process. Okay?' He further mentioned- 'Like don't cheat the process, don't cut corners, fall in love with the process and everything else will take care of itself. So that's what I've been able to do for my career. So that's my words of advice to all you guys. The process and that goes for everything. That's not just basketball. That's life, man." Despite all the buzz around LeBron James and Lakers, it is almost difficult to imagine a reputed NBA team without him. He has not only set an example in the NBA world but also inspires millions around the globe with his hard world and dedication. Also Read: 'It was really hard for me'- LeBron James' wife Savannah reveals how being a teenage mother negatively impacted her sense of identity Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Fall in love with the process'- LeBron James reveals favorite part of his 22-year-old NBA career
LeBron James, Image via Getty Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James and former NBA coach Steve Nash recently witnessed a phenomenal gala finale of the widely watched podcast Mind the Game. During the last episode of fifth season of Mind the Game, the popular basketball duo spoke about various aspects of NBA. In between the conversation with Steve Nash, the Los Angeles Lakers star went on to talk about one of his favorite parts of two-decade-long NBA career. LeBron James talks about favorite part of his two-decade long NBA career With the buzz around Los Angeles Lakers' star LeBron James' exit from NBA, the 40-year-old recently revealed his favorite part about basketball career. While talking about trying to make the most out of one's routine, body, and game, Steve Nash went on to ask about his favorite thing about NBA in over a decade-long career. LeBron James said, 'I mean the process is the only thing that matters to me. You know, I think when you fall in love with the process of what you want to do, and that's with anything, that's not just basketball. That's what you guys are aspiring to do. You have to fall in love with the process. The end result will happen organically, and it'll make it so much more worth your while when you fall in love with the process.' He further mentioned, 'Like, don't cheat the process, don't cut corners, fall in love with the process, and everything else will take care of itself. So that's what I've been able to do for my career. So that's my word of advice to all you guys. The process, and that goes for everything. That's not just basketball. That's life, man. Whatever you want to do in life, that's a fulfilling, inspiring way to live. So all you kids out there, like, really try to think about that. Like, what does that mean for you? Like maybe you haven't found your thing yet, but practice it at school, at sports, in music, or whatever it is; practice it. Try to get closer to your process. What is a good process system? He's mastered it, right?' For LeBron James it was never about proving anything to anyone. The 40-year-old believes in pushing himself every day to witness the better version of himself. After being active for 22 seasons in the NBA, he truly believes that hard work and dedication towards one's goal can make everything possible. Also Read: 'It means the world'- LeBron James' son Bronny James shares an emotional message about his family for their support and love Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Steve Nash praises LeBron James for adapting his game alongside Luka Doncic
Amidst the excitement of the Los Angeles Lakers landing generational superstar Luka Doncic in a Feb. 1 trade was the question of how he would fit alongside LeBron James. Many of their skills and abilities overlap, and some predicted that the partnership wouldn't work. But offensively, the Lakers got the hang of it. Doncic became their main facilitator in their halfcourt offense, while James played off the ball as much as he ever has, which allowed him to conserve his energy and even play some high-level defense. It was a good enough setup to take the team to the third seed in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record, even though it lost in five games in the first round of the playoffs due to its lack of supporting talent. It is never easy for a superstar to adjust when he joins forces with another superstar. But Steve Nash pointed out how well James adapted to the situation, and Nash praised him for making the necessary adjustments during a recent episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast. 'One thing I'd also like to say that I really admire about LeBron is the way he adapted this season to playing with Luka. That takes a lot of maturity. It takes a lot of sacrifice. He approached this as a gift and an opportunity to make a team as good as it could possibly be. Now it was slammed together quick, they lost early in the playoffs, but I think we saw the seeds of a team that was this close to going deep in the playoffs, making a run for a title. As that roster builds, the possibility is there. You can't do that unless you're willing to sacrifice and grow and play slightly different. Play in a way that complements your teammates. So my advice would be those two things. Continue to find that sacrifice — it's not like his numbers dipped, he just did it in different ways. But that's hard for players who have played 15, 18, 20, 22? 22 years in the league.' Although James' assists totals fell a bit after Doncic's arrival, his scoring and shooting efficiency didn't. He has long had the ability to post up and shoot the fadeaway jumper, and those are skills he will need to exploit a lot more often moving forward. There is no question that the Lakers are now Doncic's team. But despite all the noise about James being unhappy with the direction of the team, he is reportedly expected to remain a member of it moving forward as the 2025-26 season approaches, and he could even stay put past this coming season.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Kevin Durant reflects on Brooklyn Nets downfall as Kyrie Irving hints at upcoming livestream
Kyrie Irving shared a cheeky twitter post (Image via Getty Images) The NBA star Kevin Durant has finally opened up about his time with the Brooklyn Nets and the reasons why things didn't work out. He acknowledged in a recent podcast episode that although the team had enormous potential, things didn't work out as planned. The team did not live up to championship aspirations, even though the other players formed a super team. Meanwhile, fellow NBA player and Kevin Durant's ex-teammate, Kyrie Irving , later shared the clip of the podcast on X and wrote a cheeky caption. Kevin Durant opens up on the Brooklyn Nets' struggles and why the team failed to reach its full potential Kevin Durant is now speaking out on why his time with the Brooklyn Nets didn't work out as he envisioned. In the recent podcast episode of Mind the Game, the NBA star offered candid insights into the issues that prevented the team from performing at its best. 'I have just signed that deal. You had just signed a deal, but I feel like we were secure, but everything else around us was going in. Not in a bad way. We got GM's going to other teams. We got coaches going to other teams. We got players forcing trades…' He continued: 'We got bringing best Simmons. He's back. It was just so much stuff going on. Around us, I feel like we were locked in on the same page, and we were trying to do something special here. I felt like your hands were tied a lot, because as a coach you got to deal with so much. I didn't think we didn't get the full steel knife. I wanted it…' He then added: 'I just felt like it was too many distractions in a way. You know, you can't win that way. But I felt like we had great intentions. I felt like we cared enough. I felt like every day we were trying to push towards winning the champ…. That first year. Most fun ball I had. Some of the most fun ball I had planned in my whole life. [But] I feel like we were committed only where everybody else wasn't…' Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are former teammates (Image via Getty Images) Later, Kyrie Irving shared the clip of the podcast and wrote: 'Lol I am gonna address this on my stream soon..' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gentle Japanese hair growth method for men and women's scalp Hair's Rich Learn More Undo For context, in 2019, following his recovery from an Achilles tear, Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets. Later, Kyrie Irving and James Harden were added to the roster. The bond between NBA legends Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant is based on rivalry, respect, and teamwork. Their relationship is evident in their sincere, open discussions as well as in their shared court moments. Also read: Kyrie Irving shuts down 'LeBron is my dad' talk, reflects on evolved bond with former teammate Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
