Most of the attention on Lee Jenkins’ must-read Sports Illustrated piece on LeBron James stems from the three-time champion’s comments about Michael Jordan, and deservedly so. However, there was another interesting tidbit in there, and it has to do with LeBron’s offseason workout schedule.
James may have won his third NBA title and his first in Cleveland back in June, but no one expected him to take it easy this offseason. Still, no one expected him to start his normally intense offseason routine this early, either. Yet, after Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors, Jenkins noted that LeBron shifted his focus.
“Shortly after Durant signed and the NBA’s tectonic plates shifted, James started setting his alarm for 5 a.m., working out in a West Hollywood gym at 6. He insists the Warriors are not the impetus, but he acknowledges that he rarely trains this hard this soon. He has not even signed his own contract yet with the Cavaliers, a formality, though he is likely to ink another one-year-deal that positions him to command a higher maximum salary on a long-term pact next summer.”
LeBron can say all he wants that his change in workout schedule has nothing to do with the fact that the core of a 73-win team just added one of the league’s best players in the offseason, but I’m not buying it. If the Cavs are going to beat the Warriors again this year, it’s going to take even more out of LeBron than it did a season ago, and he knows it.
In the article, James’ coach Tyronn Lue compared him to Kevin Garnett, and said he hopes now that LeBron has won a championship in Cleveland, he’ll take the time out to “enjoy the game and the city.” But that doesn’t appear likely, as Jenkins noted.
Unfortunately, the immortals are not wired that way. They are driven to slay monsters, as many as four at a time, and chase ghosts. “I’ll have peace when I’m done,” James sniffs.
Yeah, the rest of the NBA better not spend so much time worrying about the Warriors that they forget about The King.
(Via Sports Illustrated)
