Sacrificing Loved Ones to Achieve Greatness
LeBron James and JJ Redick have a new podcast, Mind the Game, where they talk about basketball at a detailed level. I’ve mentioned before that LeBron is a genius, and their discussions confirm that belief.
In a conversation about how he developed a high basketball IQ, LeBron first cites his early basketball coaches, but then adds a point that would be completely pompous if he didn’t have a very public record to prove it: “I was taught the game the right way, but the one thing that those coaches always told me—they told me that I had an uncanny ability to process information faster than anyone they’ve ever seen.”
What was most compelling about the interview was LeBron’s response to this question: “What are the qualities, for you, that make a great basketball player beyond just talent and skill set and size?”
His first answer: “Knowing the history of the game.” And it’s clear that he’s been a student of the past and present of the game for more than 25 years.
LeBron then said that to achieve greatness, “You have to sacrifice loved ones for a long period of time if you want to be great. It is very unfortunate, and you feel it at times.”
LeBron described his daily routine to illustrate the point: “I am getting up every single day at 5 or 6 am. And when I get home after everyone leaves the gym, I’m going to take a nap. So now you’re sacrificing your loved ones ’cause you’re not spending time with them. And when I wake up, I’m probably going to train again. And then I’m going to have dinner, and then I’m going to bed. And I’m going to do that every single day for a long period of time. That’s sacrificing and discipline.”
According to Lebron, one of the hardest parts of that journey is the fact that those loved ones “don’t understand, and that’s okay.”
That point resonated with me because whenever someone pursues a different path than the norm—and there’s no way to be the greatest on the normal path—it won’t seem normal to anyone around them. It’s the lonely path.
Leadership Wisdom
Maverick Carter, the CEO of SpringHill Entertainment and a key figure in building LeBron’s business empire, was interviewed for the New York Times’ Corner Office series.
He was asked: “Talk a bit about how you got here. A lot of people have questioned whether you were the right person to manage LeBron’s business interests along the way. How have you gotten past people underestimating you?”
Carter responded: “I still deal with impostor syndrome. It’s a very real thing. I always tell young people that you have to be just passionately curious. I really want to never stop learning. One of the things that I’ve always done is, if you meet someone who’s been successful, the best way to learn and get information from them is to simply ask them about their successes. They love nothing more than talking about the things they’ve done. That has allowed me to learn and use that as fuel. And even if I am underestimated, I’m fine with it. Because I go into it thinking, ‘Hey, I’m here to learn and want to get information and then figure out how to apply it to my life.’”