After LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers came up short against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2019-20 NBA season opener, they rebounded against the Utah Jazz.
It is safe to say the Lakers are still a work in progress after a 1-1 start to the new season. Of course, it is still far too early to press the panic button and there is good reason to be optimistic about this team’s ability to make adjustments.
This season has generated plenty of hype after the landscape suddenly shifted to provide more parity throughout the NBA. Regardless, James plans on proceeding with business as usual when it comes to watching what is going on around the league.
James revealed that the entertainment aspect of basketball is outweighed by his habit of studying the game.
“I don’t watch basketball for entertainment. I’m a fan of the game as far as I’m a cerebral guy,” James said. “The entertainment is like watching a concert.”
James instead likened watching a basketball game to reading a book for him.
“For me, basketball is like reading a great book. I don’t believe great books are entertainment, I think it’s something that just continues to strengthen the mind,” James further explained. “That’s what I love about basketball. It continues to strengthen my mind every time I watch it.”
James’ comments are certainly understandable considering how accustomed he has become to breaking down what he sees on the basketball court just on instinct alone. His knack for analyzing the action taking place does not appear to be like a switch where he can turn it off and on as he pleases.
This may be the price that comes with being one of the best players in NBA history. Not to mention, he is now with a team that has championship expectations.
James’ comments are indicative of why he may very well be one of the few that are capable of making these high hopes come to fruition in Los Angeles.
While the 34-year-old is still looking as spry as ever, he is now at the stage in his career where he must rely on his wits than his athleticism more and more every season.
Fortunately, it appears James has been preparing for this ever since his mind naturally took a studious approach to watching basketball instead of simply marveling at it.