LeBron James shared strong opinions on youth basketball training during a recent episode of his Mind The Game podcast. Speaking with Luka Doncic and Steve Nash, LeBron criticized modern skills trainers, saying many are more focused on fame than genuinely helping players improve.
In the latest episode of his Mind The Game podcast, joined by Luka Doncic and Hall of Famer Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James reflected on his early NBA days and explained why he believes today’s generation is over-reliant on personal trainers.
“I didn’t have a basketball trainer until my 2nd, 3rd or 4th year in the NBA. My basketball training was just being on the court. Let’s just go hoop,” James said.
He also didn’t hold back when addressing what he feels is a growing problem in today’s youth development scene.
“A lot of the skills coaches and trainers involved in these kids’ lives—they actually want to be more famous than the actual kid,” James explained. “They think they’re more important than the actual kid they’re training. Their motive is not pure. Like, they want to be on camera. They want to be recognized. They want to talk to the media.”
James pointed to how some trainers shift the focus away from the players they’re working with and onto themselves.
“Say, for instance, I train Luka for two summers and he has a breakout season. Now they want to do interviews with people—like, that’s not the f***ing objective, right? The objective is to help this kid get better.”
“Help him see the game further than he did before. It’s not for you to be famous. And I think that also changed a lot of the landscape—kids not knowing the purity or the essence and the beauty of the game,” the 40-year-old concluded.
During the 2024-25 NBA regular season, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game while shooting 51.3% from the field.
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