Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another installment of “Making Your Mental Health a Priority,” a series in which I delve into sports' biggest names and athletes. If you’re new to the content, please go back and catch-up on the most recent articles. Without further due, let’s get down to business.
He may be the ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER in NBA history; but there was a time none of it would’ve been possible. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, yes that guy who’s thirty-nine years old and still playing elite basketball had to overcome adversity early in his career. A moment in which made him sit back and reflect on turmoil and chaos in 2011.
Upon “The Decision” in July 2010, all the basketball world sat around their televisions waiting to hear LeBron’s announcement on free agency. A television special which gained a lot of publicity and backlash for the game’s two time league MVP. When it was announced after fifty-seven minutes of anxious Cleveland Cavaliers fans, the backlash followed. All the noise, rumors, cameras followed LeBron James that night in July. Nothing he was used to, but public reception would say “betrayal.”
“Take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat” left a lot of fans stunned; yet confused because of how we waited this long for that quote. This was new territory for LBJ in part of how he’d manage to leave money on the table and join forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The season started rocky as struggles mounted early on and it played well into the sports media. “Did LeBron make a mistake by leaving Cleveland for greener pastures?” The content was crazy to a point fans just wrote off “The Chosen One” and abandoned ship.
As the postseason rolled around, LeBron was out to prove everyone wrong by saying “I told you so,” to a point he disappeared in the NBA Finals versus the Dallas Mavericks.
Lack of self-awareness, immaturity, passive-aggressive messages became the staple for LeBron. One of the lowest points of his career came with losing the Finals after Miami had a 2-1 lead and surrendered four straight losses. The blame was aimed directly at Lebron James; averaging 17 points in those six games stood out. The national media won; whereas LeBron struggled to face reality he was his own enemy.
This was brought on by playing the role of villain; wearing the black hat and mask to hide true emotions. What happened was his love for the game left him. For a guy whose career has been under a microscope since age 16, it was far from damage control. Nothing he did or said could eliminate the agony of losing a championship. From there, he fell into a dark space.
During that time prior to the NBA lockout, LeBron didn’t leave his room for several days. Trying to cope with what just happened in the Heat’s playoff blunder in pursuing a championship. To say it had mental wear and tear is an understatement. This was an epic collapse by a young man who was still trying to figure out how and why he didn’t make enough plays. Understanding how the mental toll took gave him a sense of greater purpose. Yes, he wanted to win a title and prove his decision was the best one. But with that came all the warranted backlash for an NBA superstar. No superstar in NBA history had faced more public scrutiny; LeBron was the target for every sports pundit who took issue.
In learning how to navigate through it all during a moment where he handled it poorly far from his decision. Seeing different aspects in which he could’ve gone about it a better way. From a fan’s perspective and how it rippled the city of Cleveland, Ohio. LeBron took this as a teaching moment and gained strengths. Losing the 2011 NBA Finals and adapting his game around two other superstars was challenging enough. This allowed LeBron to see where he can grow as a player. It took one postseason collapse to learn how to win the right way. From there, he returned to typical LeBron form and had eight years of making the NBA Finals.
Winning cures everything for players, but when your mental health is greatly tested; that’s the game nobody knows about. Wins and losses come with any sport; but your mental health is the win every athlete needs. Sports science, nutrition and the love of basketball has allowed LeBron James to withstand the battles of time. In 2019, he partnered with Calm to inspire mental fitness. An avid user of the app for stress and better sleep. “The ability to focus and calibrate everything going on inside your mind is a skill that can be strengthened over time and Calm helps me do that.” If that doesn’t inspire you to take your mental health from an all-time NBA great, I don’t know what will!
LeBron James is truly one of the greatest athletes we’ll ever see in our lifetime. People will take issue with his on-court success and failure to use it against him; but one thing he ensures is mind is mentally fit to combat a gruesome NBA season.
Thank you LeBron James for using your platform for all of us. Speaking out against social issues, interaction with the fans, all the things people overlook. We won’t see another athlete to walk planet Earth like you. As he captions in his posts: “Strive for greatness” resonates with all of us in life. No matter your profession, mental health is always a work in progress. You’ll have some wins, losses, and heartbreaks; but one thing is certain: continue to make your mental health a priority.
Stai tuned.
