LeBron James is aging like the fine wine that him and Dwyane Wade are always drinking on Instagram. It’s not just his on-court performance, but his overall presence, something that is increasingly on display during interviews where James feels more akin to a king holding court than someone at the whim of the questions he is asked.
LeBron James wants to play vs. his son in the NBA so he can ‘foul the s*** out of him’
This incredible quote and so much more from an excellent GQ interview with the NBA’s highest star.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
It happened again Monday when GQ released a half-profile, half-Q&A with the hegemonic star of the NBA. It’s a great read with some sensational photography to go with it. Here’s a taste.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, here are a few important things that we can take away from it.
James wants to foul the s*** out of his son
Asked if he would want to play against his oldest son in the NBA, James had a fantastic answer.
“I’ll foul the shit out of him!” He laughs. “I’d give him all six fouls. I’d foul the shit out of Bronny, man.”
Yeah, like every time he tries to shoot.
“On sight: Flagrant 2!”
LeBron James Jr. is 13 and his dad is currently 32. Assuming the junior James is an NBA talent — there’s no reason to think he won’t be, but none of Jordan’s sons played past college — then that could happen in six seasons. James has committed five flagrant fouls in his career, but he has never been ejected. He’s saving his first for his firstborn, eh?
James does believe Dan Gilbert’s infamous letter was racial
When James left for Miami, Gilbert’s crazed Comic Sans letter went down in infamy ... and perhaps has racial undertones to it, too. James was a black athlete who poured his heart into Cleveland and was lambasted for daring to leave, after all. He still embraces the city, but this answer, in response to a question about what he owes the city, is fascinating.
“LeBron James owes nobody anything. Nobody. When my mother told me I don’t owe her anything, from that point in time, I don’t owe anybody anything. But what I will give to the city of Cleveland is passion, commitment, and inspiration. As long as I put that jersey on, that’s what I represent. That’s why I’m there — to inspire that city. But I don’t owe anybody anything.”
“I don’t talk about injuries.”
Perhaps the most incredible thing about James’ career is the sheer volume of it. He plays damn near every game, and logs enormous minutes in them all. He may be the all-time leader in minutes by the time he retires, if he holds up like he has.
Once in the NBA Finals, James fell into the camera row and cut the back of his head on the edge of a camera. But he refused to let them staple the cut shut.
“No, I actually—this was just glue. It was going to be staples, but I told them, ‘Don’t fucking staple my head.’ And they put in the glue, and it didn’t heal right. We kept this one under wraps, though.”
Why didn’t he talk about it? Because James doesn’t talk about injuries.
You can, and should, read the whole GQ piece here.
