LeBron James Inks Deal With Amazon For 'Mind The Game' Podcast

Source: Wondery / Wondery

LeBron James went on a rampage when visiting The Pat McAfee Show to air his grievances, but now he is ready to get back to real hooper talk.

The 40-year-old’s Mind the Game podcast, where he discussed the X’s and O’s of basketball’s intricacies, did well when it premiered on YouTube last year, with a subscriber count currently sitting around 660,000. The only problem is that his co-host, JJ Redick, is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, but James didn’t let that stop the podcast’s forward motion.

Now, James has not only introduced a new co-host in Steve Nash but also inked a multiyear deal with Amazon to host the program under its podcast label, Wondery, which has steadily pushed into sports since acquiring New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce in a nine-figure deal.

With Amazon’s nod, it will be distributed through Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Fire TV, and Echo devices, as well as your favorite other streaming platforms.

Nash is a solid choice for the seat opposite James. He is widely considered one of the best point guards in NBA history, holding titles like two MVPs, an eight-time All-Star, and an assist gawd over his 18-year career. He also brings a coaching aspect to the conversation as he led the Brooklyn Nets from 2020 to 2022, so James is ready to pick his mind.

“I love learning and talking about the game of basketball. We enjoyed the conversations so much in the first season of Mind The Game, I lost JJ as my co-host, but gained a coach,” James told the Hollywood Reporter. “Now I get to do it with another one of the greatest basketball minds in Steve Nash, and we’re going to have a lot of fun digging into the nuances and details that make this sport so great.”

The show was created to quiet the noise and hot takes from your favorite pundits —possibly one that just said he’d swing on The Chosen One— and really get into the details of the incredibly complex world of stats, match-ups, and playcalling.

For Nash, he knew that was something he wanted to do when hopping off the court and in front of the camera.

“When I decided to step into a media role, I knew it had to be something different—something fresh, something that brings real basketball fans closer to the sport. Mind The Game is my way of being a teacher of basketball, of breaking down the game in a way that makes fans see just how incredible this era of hoops really is. I can’t wait to get inside the mind of LeBron James and also share my experiences within this beautiful game,” Nash said.

Now, with a new season debuting April 1, it returns just in time for the NBA playoffs, which tip off on April 19.

See how social media is reacting to James’ announcement below.

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