Athletes frequently have pre-game rituals they follow. Prior to tip-off, LeBron James threw chalk into the crowd, Jayson Tatum pulled his ears, and Dwyane Wade performed pull-ups on the hoop. Pre-game customs, however, go much beyond what is depicted on screen. On the Swish Cultures discussion show, former Lakers player Nigel Hayes-Davis discussed LeBron James’ deliberate pre-game routine.
Hayes-Davis signed a 10-day deal with the Lakers in 2018. He became aware of King James’s mental strategy for the game around this time.
The 29-year-old said:
“I’m just watching him. He did his warm-up, he does his stretches and then he does like his 20-25 minutes… You know, does his little meditation thing and goes out there and is LeBron James…What he does on the commercials is real, ”
‘The Akron Hammer’ devotees will be familiar with his meditation technique.
LeBron James is famous for teaming up with Calm app
Since 2019, Calm, a software business that offers guided meditations, and James have teamed. He even appeared in several commercials for the self-care app.
James discussed how meditation helps him as a top athlete in the Calm “Train Your Mind” ad. He said,
“The mind is like a muscle; the more you train it, the stronger it becomes. And while the greats mastered the body, the greatest mastered the mind.” “That definitely is something that keeps me sane in the bubble.”
Image : Fatoftheland
Observing James during his NBA appearances, Nigel Hayes-Davis made the connection, and it appears that he continued it throughout his career. He holds the record for most points scored in a EuroLeague game and is presently a player with Fenerbahce.
James also discussed the importance of meditation in the 2020 NBA bubble. Separated from his family and confronted with a worrying worldwide health crisis, the King turned to meditation as a means of bringing his attention back to the tournament.
