Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a consummate professional on and off the floor, and that has helped him play this well so late into his career.
James is well-known for how much work he does to stay in top shape year-round, something players like Alex Caruso learned by just being around him.
However, not only does LeBron do whatever it takes to take care of his body, but he is also notorious for being early to things. In a recent episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, James explained why he’s never tardy to things:
“I think I was born into it for some odd reason. I’ve always had a feeling of like…I don’t like being late to anything. It was always like…I feel like it’s a disrespectful thing. My stomach starts to hurt a little bit, my anxiety starts to ramp up if I’m late or tardy. It happened when I was even in like elementary school. If the bell rung before I was in my chair I guess my whole day would be messed up. I didn’t pick it up from my mom, I don’t think so. I don’t think I picked that up from my mom, I literally think I was just born that way. I’ve always been like…my anxiety…I can’t function when I’m late and it stuck with me throughout my…obviously now I’m 40 years old. But when I started playing organized sports it was like the perfect match for me because if you’re not on time to practice you will have to run. I played little league football. If you didn’t run, you’d have to run sprints or you’d have to run gashers or 17s and I know football people out there they know exactly what those are and that -expletive- is punishment. You do not want to be late to a football practice and have to run gashers or 17s or 100s. My mom didn’t have a car growing when we were growing up, so if I was late because of someone picking me up late or whatever the case may be and I couldn’t control that. Even though I would still have anxiety about being late, some things I couldn’t control.
“But to hear Grant say those words it’s just always been in me. I feel like especially when you start playing sports and you’re around other people and as you get older and older and older and you go from little league to middle school ball to high school ball and if it’s either college or the professionals wherever you are…I’ve always looked at it as like a disrespect to the people that you’re working with. You’re late and you’re disrespecting other people’s time and I never felt good about that. What other people that’s what other people do but for me personally being on time has always been late to me. So to be able to get to places early, I didn’t know I was setting the tone for the rest of the group whatever stage that was. But to be there on time I felt like it was late and I wanted to be there extra early, talk to the coaches. This past summer when we was with the Olympic team the coaches are always gonna be there a little bit early. They talk about what they want to do tonight versus the opponents or practice. I get there early and just kind of watch the film, or talk to them and see what’s going on and then the guys start trickling in and coming in. But it’s just always been me.”
For someone like James, routine and schedule is important so it’s no surprise that he does his best to arrive on time. Promptness goes a long way and it’s clearly helped LeBron become one of the best to ever do it.
More of today’s youth can certainly learn from that as promptness seems to be a thing of the past in all walks of life.
Luka Doncic believes LeBron James’ experience will help Lakers
LeBron James forming the habits he has happened over the course of his 22-year career. He has seen and experienced basically everything, which Luka Doncic feels will help the Lakers compete for a championship this season.
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