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Zillgitt: Raptors fans should embrace Kawhi
LOS ANGELES – LeBron James is known for a fierce work ethic that has maintained one of the strongest and most durable bodies in the NBA. But on Monday night, when talking about his success on the court, the Lakers’ superstar stressed the importance of the mind.
Pointing to the side of his head, James said, “I believe when you have this here, and this is at its strongest, that sometimes when the physical fades away, you can still be at your best because you’re just head over heels over a lot of people on the mental side. And for me to be able to train my mind as much as I train my body, I think that’s why I’m able to still do the things I’m doing right now 17 years in the league.”
James was touting mental fitness while announcing a partnership with Calm, a meditation and relaxation aid that was named iPhone app of the year in 2017. He said his wife introduced him to the paid-subscription app about a year ago and that since then he has used it every time he’s gone to sleep at night or taken a nap during the day.
“It calmed my mind throughout the stressful times of playing the game of basketball, at the stressful times of being a parent, at the stressful times of being just a human in a stressful world that we all deal with on a day-to-day basis,” said James, who added that this will allow him “to be able to empower athletes once again, to give them an opportunity to be able to tap into something that sometimes athletes don’t know that we have.”
The financial terms of the partnership were not released.
But its formal announcement will coincide with a worldwide marketing campaign and the launch of app content created by James, Calm’s co-founders said during the formal announcement Monday night at “h club LA.”
James, who will turn 35 on Dec. 30, said he understood the importance of mental fitness growing up.
“But now I’m at a point in life where I’m able to tap into it and take advantage of it and take advantage of the benefits,” he said. “Because there’s only so much you can do with the physical. It’s only so far you can get with the physical side.
“And in my respective sport, we’re all training to be the best. Everyone’s getting up and working out and lifting weights and running extra and doing things they can do to physically maintain.”