Surprising news hit the NBA world when it was announced that LeBron James would be teaming up with JJ Redick on a new podcast called Mind the Game. Redick has established himself as one of the top NBA media personalities post-retirement. Hosting his own podcast The Old Man and the Three, along with regular appearances on First Take and being a part of ESPN’s lead broadcasting team. This collaboration between a top media figure and an NBA icon is both unprecedented and exciting. Here’s everything you need to know about the new show.
LeBron James and JJ Redick are teaming up on a podcast planned to be a pure conversation about basketball, per @AndrewMarchand
“The first show will debut Tuesday and is expected to be weekly, running 45 minutes to an hour per episode. It will be available on YouTube and all… pic.twitter.com/uGS2wCREQg
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 18, 2024
LeBron James Set To Team Up JJ Redick In New Podcast
The Podcast’s Format
The first episode is set to drop on March 19th. With weekly episodes every Tuesday and possible guests. Mind the Game will be available on podcast platforms with a visual version on YouTube.
Notably, the show will begin without a corporate sponsor, a rarity in the sports media landscape. Redick’s ThreeFourTwo Productions and James’ Uninterrupted will collaboratively produce the show. Redick said the following in an interview with The Athletic.
“It’s meant to be a very free-flowing conversation about the sport and about the game. If you look at it in a very simplistic way, it’s just about basketball.”
Together Redick and James will dive into the nuances of games without traditional media narratives. This show will be especially appealing for diehard NBA fans to get more in-depth analytical breakdowns. However, it’s a great opportunity for fans of all levels to learn more about the sport. Having it come from two NBA players with great basketball minds and tons of experience is perfect for this style.
The initial teaser trailer shows LeBron and Redick analyzing baseline out-of-bounds plays. This trailer further sets the tone for the show as an in-depth basketball conversation. Furthermore, the choice to go independent will allow for more authentic conversations and viewpoints. All while helping grow both players’ media brands.
.@kingjames and @jj_redick are obsessed with basketball.
Consider their podcast, Mind the Game, a celebration of the sport as they discuss the state of the game, dissect X’s and O’s (like they do here), and wax poetic about the game they love. pic.twitter.com/lDf8ToVlHE
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) March 18, 2024
LeBron and Redick’s Brands
LeBron launched Uninterrupted with business partner Maverick Carter back in 2014 as an athlete empowerment brand. Allowing athletes to speak freely with long-form video content. Uninterrupted hosts a variety of shows including LeBron’s The Shop, Iman Shumpert’s podcast Iman Among Against Men, and Run The Playlist, a show that blends pop culture with sports. Impressively Uninterrupted has reached over 700,000 subscribers on YouTube.
JJ Redick launched ThreeFourTwo productions and The Old Man and the Three podcast in the 2020 NBA bubble with his co-host Tommy Alter. The podcast has over 1 million subscribers on YouTube and has had a wide range of NBA stars as guests. Including Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Victor Wembanyama.
The podcast and brand have gained popularity for authentic conversations with stars and detailed basketball conversations. ThreeFourTwo Productions also hosts Duncan Robinson’s podcast The Long Shot. This new podcast has the potential to become the biggest show for both companies. Ultimately these similar styles make James and Redick an ideal podcasting combination.
What This Means For LeBron Post-Retirement
There has been much speculation about what LeBron will do post-basketball. He has long been connected with owning an inevitable Las Vegas expansion team. While this still remains a strong possibility. What this move shows us is LeBron’s interest and commitment to the media landscape. This move further adds to LeBron’s off-court legacy. LeBron has been very involved in the media world for the past decade and it’s fair to predict this is the next level of involvement for him. Having LeBron be this accessible in the media both as a player and when he eventually retires is something all fans should be grateful for.
