Skip to main content

LeBron James And J.J. Redick Are Starting A Basketball-Focused Podcast Together


J.J. Redick has quickly climbed the ladder in the sports media world, as he now occupies a seat on ESPN's lead NBA commentary team with Mike Breen and Doris Burke, and his podcast, The Old Man and the Three, is incredibly popular and regularly lands some of the biggest names in the NBA as guests.

Redick's next venture may just be his biggest though, as he's adding a second weekly podcast to his schedule with a pretty notable co-host: LeBron James. The podcast, called Mind the Game, will be co-produced by LeBron and Redick's respective production companies and promises focus on the game of basketball and let the two dive into how they think about the game, rather than arguing about GOAT status or topics you'd see on First Take, via Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

"It's meant to be a very free-flowing conversation about the sport and about the game," Redick said in a phone interview. "If you look at it in a very simplistic way, it's just about basketball."

"I'm really proud of what we've done to innovate in sports media," James said in a statement to The Athletic. "… 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."

The first clip he saw of the podcast shows the two breaking down how to defend a pick-the-picker out of bounds play while drinking a glass of wine, and it figures to be that kind of laid back conversation about the finer points of the game, with guests occasionally popping in to offer their thoughts on the tactical side of the game.

Redick has long wanted to focus more on that, but has lamented that his efforts in doing so don't draw the same level of attention as rants about Doc Rivers or debates over player rankings. Now, we'll see if the appetite for that kind of content increases with LeBron James on board, and it could be a very good thing for giving fans a chance to hear from one of the greatest basketball minds to every play the game.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What Happened to the Rivalry Between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony? - Bleacher Report

They were two young stars with unique and special abilities on the basketball court. They had recently played in a high-attention scholastic contest against each other. They were both selected in the same draft. The LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony rivalry was supposed to be the best individual rivalry since Magic and Bird. But while the relationship between Bird and Johnson is dramatized in a new Broadway play , Anthony and James will meet for the 15th time in their careers and do so without much fanfare. James and Anthony first met in a USA developmental camp in 2001 . Much like how Johnson raved about Bird after they played together on a college All-Star team playing in an international tournament, James couldn’t stop talking about Anthony. The two squared off in a high school showcase game the following year that pitted the player regarded as the best senior in the country (Anthony) against the one that was the best junior in the country (James), a game Anthony’s team wo...

NBA Monday Morning Shootaround: LeBron James, The Hunger Games, and More - Bleacher Report

Welcome to the "Monday Morning Shootaround," Bleacher Report's recap of the weekend that was in the NBA. Along with getting you caught up on the weekend’s playoff action, we’ll give you a sneak preview of what could potentially be the greatest basketball book of all time, show you the best 70-year-old playground superstar ever, and tell you about a young star that just might choose religion over the fame and fortune of the NBA. The Opening Tip * ABC cameras caught LeBron James reading The Hunger Games before the Miami Heat played the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Heat small forward proceeded to go into full Katniss Everdeen mode to the tune of 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Heat pulled out a hard-fought 101-93 victory. After a slow start, Heat guard Dwyane Wade finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists of his own. But Sunday afternoon was all about James and his gaudy numbers, virtually all of which we...

Breaking Down the Differences Between LeBron James and Kevin Durant - Bleacher Report

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are being coined as "the future of the NBA 's next generation." That is certainly true, but they aren't exactly on the same level. LeBron and Durant are two different players, who bring varying skills to different facets of the game. Instead of just comparing them in a "who's the best" fashion, let's take a minute and break down which player excels in each and every facet of the game of basketball. Ahead is a breakdown of the differences that exist between LeBron and Durant.  Scoring Ronald Martinez/Getty Images LeBron 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 27.1 points, 53.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 77.1 FT% Durant 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 28.0 points, 49.6 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 86.0 FT% Scoring is what Kevin Durant does. It's not only his specialty, it's also what makes him such a dangerous and elite player. With that being said, LeBron isn't exactly a slouch on the offensive side of the...