LeBron James asked Tiger Woods about the latter's experiences with chasing and sustaining greatness in golf.
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LOS ANGELES — It was a postcard day at Riviera Country Club, the weather perfect as Los Angeles Lakers players and coaches filled into their suite above the 18th green.
The Lakers had scrapped their plans to practice Saturday, instead gathering for a team outing at Genesis Invitational, Los Angeles' annual PGA event in the Pacific Palisades.
Tiger Woods, the tournament's host, spoke to the Lakers and took questions from the group, including one from LeBron James, one athlete who has occupied the rarest airspace in his field, quizzing another.
"I asked him what the difference in the challenges of climbing the ranks was," he told The Athletic. "What was the hardest challenge? Was it more of a challenge or harder to climb from zero to No. 1 — or stay at No. 1 knowing everybody was chasing you?"
The list of people James could credibly talk to about being and staying at the top is short. Roger Federer is on it. Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, too. So is Serena Williams. Maybe Lionel Messi and Michael Phelps.
Woods holds the record for most weeks ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings, with 683. He was once ranked No. 1 for 281 consecutive weeks.
James said Woods answered, saying both had their challenges; James mostly agreed. Yet one, the Lakers star said, was definitely tougher for him than the other.
"Staying there. Staying at one. Staying the best player in the world," James said. "When you got everybody chasing you and trying to knock you off the mountaintop, that's more challenging. I mean, it's hard getting up, you know, from zero to one. But my mindset when I left high school, I told myself that I gotta start back at zero, though.
"I knew I was the No. 1 player in the country as a high school senior and probably high school junior. But when I got to the NBA, I said, 'I'm starting from zero, and now, I gotta get back to one again.'"
And once James got there — he was named to first-team All-NBA by his third season and won his first MVP in year six — he found that with more scrutiny, it was tough to fend off everyone.
"Not only is it about the other players, your colleagues, and everybody chasing you trying to knock you off and how they can be No. 1 and knock you off," he said. "It's like everybody roots for you when you're the underdog. Everybody roots for you when you like, not a threat to anything. And then, when you get there, then, it's like, "Get him the f— out."
James joked that he didn't ask Woods for any golf tips Saturday, and he didn't ask Woods his question to learn anything specific. Mostly, it was to make sure a rare opportunity didn't go to waste.
"It probably would never happen," James said of all-time greats having a moment like Saturday. "Us being in the room together like that, it probably would never happen."
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Dan Woike covers the Los Angeles Lakers for The Athletic. He's written about professional basketball in Los Angeles since 2011, first for the Orange County Register and most recently for the Los Angeles Times. His work has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Pro Basketball Writers Association, the Los Angeles Press Club and the California News Publishers Association. He's originally from Chicago. Follow Dan on Twitter @DanWoikeSports
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