The Los Angeles Lakers have business to handle Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic. After getting blown out by the Boston Celtics over the weekend, the focus inside the locker room is simple. Compete harder. Defend better. Shoot it with confidence.
But with LeBron James, the story is never just about the next game.
Hours before tipoff, word spread that his podcast, Mind the Game, is lining up another major guest. This time it is Timothée Chalamet, who is set to join James and co-host Steve Nash following a special Los Angeles film screening on March 2.
It is the kind of move that feels very LeBron. Basketball at night. Big-picture plays during the day.
More than a side project
Mind the Game is not some casual athlete podcast recorded between workouts. The conversations are detailed. Film breakdowns. Honest reflections. Two former MVP-level minds talking through the sport they helped define.
Now it is expanding beyond the hardwood.
Bringing in someone like Chalamet signals how wide the show’s reach has become. It is not just for hoop junkies anymore. It sits at the intersection of sports, culture and entertainment, which is exactly where James has operated for most of his career.
He has always thought bigger than the box score. Production companies. Media ventures. Ownership stakes. The podcast is simply the latest extension of that mindset.
Still delivering when the lights come on
All of that would ring hollow if he was no longer producing. But in his 23rd season, James is still putting up 21.7 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game through 38 contests.
Those numbers matter for a Lakers team fighting to stay firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Sunday’s loss to Boston was a reminder that reputation does not win games. Los Angeles shot under 40 percent and never found rhythm. James scored 20, but it felt like the team was chasing the game from the opening minutes.
That is where his presence still matters most. When things get shaky, teammates look to him. The voice in the huddle. The calm after a bad stretch. The guy who has seen every possible scenario.
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Two lanes, one mission
There is something impressive about how normal this balancing act looks now.
One minute he is preparing for a physical matchup against a young Orlando team. Next, he is shaping conversations that stretch well beyond basketball.
For the Lakers, Tuesday is about correcting mistakes and stacking a needed win. For LeBron, it is another day of expanding an empire while still chasing victories in purple and gold.
Year 23 does not look like a farewell tour. It looks like someone who still knows exactly what he is doing.
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