LeBron James, JJ Redick to Start Podcast ‘Just About Basketball’
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and ESPN/ABC NBA analyst JJ Redick are joining forces on a basketball-centric podcast that both say will be strictly about the game itself, according to a report in The Athletic.
The podcast, titled Mind of the Game, is set to debut Tuesday, and does not have any sponsors thus far, as both James and Redick stated they want the show to be “as organic as possible.” Redick, who was recently added to ESPN’s top play-by-play broadcast team on top of other roles at the network, said this new show with James will veer away from the opinion-heavy shows such as one he contributes to, First Take.
More from Sportico.com
NBA G League Team Ignite Faces Uncertain Future Amid NIL Changes
Utah Jazz Hybrid Viewing Model Holds Promise for Post-RSN Future
For James, the show is not necessarily geared toward the “hot take” audience. “When I do a project, the only thing I think about is whether me and my friends would watch it,” James told The Athletic. “That is definitely the case with ‘Mind the Game.’ Everything doesn’t need to be designed for internet culture and clicks.”
The intended focus of the new podcast recalls comments NBA commissioner Adam Silver made on Redick’s The Old Man and the Three podcast regarding the state of commentary on the league. In November, Silver expressed his frustration that discussions of game action are reduced to simplistic quips such as “this team wanted it more.” He believed that both the league and its media partners could do a better job breaking down coaching schemes and individual plays.
James, the four-time league MVP and all-time leading scorer in NBA history, and his business partner Maverick Carter have grown a vast media portfolio under their umbrella SpringHill Company, including media brand Uninterrupted, which produces The Shop for YouTube after several years on HBO. Uninterrupted launched in 2015 with the aim to give James and his fellow athletes a platform for discussing the issues of the day within and outside of sports.
Redick spent 15 seasons in the NBA as a 3-point specialist with several teams, most notably with the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers. While with the Clippers, the former Duke star became the first active player to launch a podcast during the regular season with The Vertical Podcast on Yahoo! Sports in 2016. Redick moved his show to Uninterrupted a season later, followed by a stint with The Ringer from 2017 to 2020.
Since retiring as a player in 2021, Redick launched his own production company, ThreeFourTwo Productions, and joined ESPN as a contributor to First Take and other studio shows. In August 2023, he was paired with Ryan Ruocco and Richard Jefferson as part of ESPN’s second play-by-play team, but Redick was promoted to the lead team with Mike Breen and Doris Burke after Doc Rivers left the booth to coach the Milwaukee Bucks in February.
Best of Sportico.com
