With the “Mind The Game” podcast returning on April 1, LeBron James has begun promoting the relaunch of his show.
He made a rare appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show,” where he mentioned the pod and also released a promotional video for his project.
During the teaser, he released an interesting tidbit where his new co-host Steve Nash mentioned that he heard people saying you can’t make a trade midseason and contend and LeBron stated flat out that those people were wrong.
It was a great setup by Nash as the Lakers are exactly that kind of team this year.
They traded away Anthony Davis and Max Christie and brought in Luka Dončić and while that is a seismic shift for the better, can they gain the chemistry needed to run through the NBA and win it all in just a matter of months?
LeBron certainly thinks so.
On paper, continuity and getting a full season with your roster is the ideal scenario. However, we’ve seen LeBron take teams that were altered midseason and still max out their potential.
The Lakers made big trades in 2023 to acquire Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell and took that team to the Western Conference Finals.
The following season, when they ran it back with most of that squad, they were eliminated in the first round and, despite the continuity, only won four more games.
When LeBron was a Cavalier, Cleveland traded six players away in 2018 and brought in Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and George Hill. Despite this major shakeup, they still made the NBA Finals.
While a lack of games together can hurt the Lakers, it can also be an advantage.
There won’t be as much tape of LeBron, Luka and Austin Reaves playing together, and while JJ Redick probably hasn’t figured out how to maximize them, teams might not come up with ways to stop them either.
There’s a saying that goes, “If you think you can’t, then you can’t, but if you think you can, you have a shot.
LeBron believes a team can make a big trade in the middle of the season and win it all. With that faith, Luka, and a basketball sicko for a coach, no one should be counting the 2024-25 Lakers out.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at@ECreates88or on Bluesky at@ecreates88.bsky.social.