One thing about Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is that he is a man of routine, which is a huge reason why he is playing All-NBA caliber basketball 22 seasons in. As he prepares for his 23rd season, nothing will change and that dedication is doing wonders for his case of being arguably the greatest of all-time.
The Lakers’ addition of Luka Doncic projects to be a positive in reducing James’ workload. At 40-years-old, he needs someone to relieve on-ball duties and the responsibility of manufacturing offense.
However, James knows he needs to be ready to play his game and do whatever is needed from him to win. While his workouts and remedies get him into peak game shape, the four-time champion detailed some superstitions he has before every game, via Complex’s 360 With Speedy:
“I am always the same unless I feel something is off. I will lay my uniform out, the same way before every game. I will pick a shoe that I’m going to wear according sometimes to either the opponent or the team. If I’m playing a certain player, a specific shoe may get worn that night just because of my competitive nature. Like a colorway… But, if I go out in warmups and I feel a certain way and the shoes don’t feel right, I will absolutely run back to the locker room and change before the game starts. Or if I’m shitty in the first quarter, they getting swapped out. I haven’t swapped out many shoes cause it’s not many shitty quarters for me.”
Most players are usually superstitious when it comes to on-court appearance and what they wear during a game. Things like pregame drills, routines or workouts are something James does not sway from.
It makes sense for him to be this self conscious about shoes he wears because every detail matters to him. Ultimately, stars want to feel comfortable and at their best when they are on the floor. Regardless of how trivial it may sound, sometimes wearing a pair of shoes that do not feel right may throw off a player’s performance.
Fortunately for James, he does not allow himself to ignore those thoughts and makes sure he is ready to go every single night.
LeBron James lays out post-retirement goals
The inevitable end is coming for LeBron James despite it looking like he will be the first person to defeat Father Time. When that time will come has yet to be revealed, but James recently laid out his goals once he decides to hang it up.
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