Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and JJ Redick are launching a podcast, Mind the Game, with the first episode set to debut on Tuesday.
The Athletic first reported the collaboration.
The episodes will be comprised of extensive basketball-centric conversations over wine, featuring LeBron, Redick, and LeBron's business partner (and co-host of The Shop), Maverick Carter.
“It’s meant to be a very free-flowing conversation about the sport and about the game,” Redick told the Athletic. “If you look at it in a very simplistic way, it’s just about basketball.”
Redick played in the NBA for 15 seasons and now works as a color analyst on the A-team for ESPN/ABC's NBA coverage. He hosts a popular hoops podcast, The Old Man and The Three, under his ThreeFourTwo Productions banner. ThreeFourTwo is co-producing Mind the Game, along with LeBron's Uninterrupted.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve done to innovate in sports media,” LeBron said in a statement to the Athletic.
“It’s what’s NEEDED!! This is going to FUN!!” LeBron wrote on X.
A clip was released on Monday, in which LeBron and JJ break down defensive coverages.
Full episode up tomorrow. This is for everyone who truly loves our beautiful game. Shout out to @jj_redick for creating this with us. Wait until we add the visuals/clips to go along with it too! OMG 😱🤯🤯😁 https://t.co/mrAhW8c3bH
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 18, 2024
“When I do a project, the only thing I think about is whether me and my friends would watch it. That is definitely the case with ‘Mind the Game.’ Everything doesn’t need to be designed for internet culture and clicks.”
“This is like two wine masters, sommeliers, talking about wine, not necessarily you or me arguing if I like Burgundy or Bordeaux better,” Carter added.
The Lakers (36-32) are currently percentage points behind the Golden State Warriors for the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. (LeBron was seen joking with Redick, on the ABC call, during the late-game time stoppages in the Lakers' loss to the Warriors on Saturday).
In his 21st season, LeBron is averaging 25.5 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.2 rebounds. After Monday's game vs. the Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers will have 13 games remaining in the 2023-24 NBA season.
Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell launched his own podcast, the Backyard, in December.
Finally, we'll be able to see if LeBron can handle launching a podcast and leading his team to the playoffs at the same time. Michael Jordan never did that.
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