The Los Angeles Lakers entered Monday’s Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors up 2-1 in their best-of-seven NBA Western Conference Semifinals playoff series. But having the series lead and playing at home did not stop LeBron James from taking his Game 4 preparation seriously.
LeBron James has always been one of the most driven and dedicated talents basketball has ever seen – but even seasoned sports reporters were surprised to see the 38-year-old basketball superstar so locked in ahead of yesterday’s Lakers v Warriors game that he arrived 5 hours before tip-off time.
James arrived at the Lakers’ arena at 1:43 pm. By 1:57, he was already getting shots up, and at 2:20 p.m., the Lakers superstar hit the weight room. Tip-off time for Game 4 was 7 p.m. local time.
LeBron’s pregame workout includes cardio for warming up and strength training exercises like inverted rows, landmine rotational presses, lunges and core work. The NBA shared a glimpse of his pregame workout routine online, much to the amazement of fans and commentators alike.
WATCH LeBron’s pregame workout below.
Lakers put the Dubs on the brink
With the King taking no shortcuts in his preparation, the Lakers outdueled the Warriors 104-101 on Monday night to put the defending champions on the brink of elimination. The Lakers go for the jugular in Game 5 on Wednesday in Golden State.
Although King James admitted that they wouldn’t have won that game without Lonnie Walker IV, he led the Lakers in scoring with 27 points. He also made two crucial free throws with 1:19 left to give the Purple and Gold a three-point lead at 102-99.
He also played 43 minutes in Game 4, tied with 30-year-old Anthony Davis for the most minutes played by any player from both teams on Monday night. It also marked the second time this series that LBJ has played at least 40 minutes, with the Lakers winning both games.
“Nothing is given, everything is earned”
But while LeBron’s insane Game 4 preparation has caught the attention of the media, it’s not the first time that he’s done that in this series or the current postseason.
In Game 3 of the series which was also played at Crypto.com Arena, LeBron was already shooting jumpers at 12:28 PM PT when the game was scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM ET or 5:30 PM PT.
SI.com also reported that King James arrived five hours before Game 6 of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
It’s not also surprising why James works hard on his game as he lives by the mantra “nothing is given, everything is earned.” That phrase was part of his “I’m coming home” statement when he returned to Cleveland in 2014 to fulfil his promise of winning a championship for Cleveland. The work that he puts in every night despite everything that he’s accomplished is what makes him truly the NBA’s GOAT.