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  • what went into tonight.

  • You're the most points ever scored again against the Cavs.

  • You got to see your mom.

  • You told Trud allowed to the game.

  • You were watching Tom Brady's performance on Sunday.

  • It was there any extra motivation coming into this one?

  • That and it manifested itself on the court home cooking.

  • You know, I'm gonna opportunity to see your mom and get a home cooked meal.

  • Um, so my uncle, I just felt good to be back in my you know, my, my, my my haven, my rest haven, you know, that's being, you know, being home.

  • So, um, you know, and also, you know, obviously you know, you can aspire watching the great play and, you know, seeing Brady see the things that he did with that team.

  • Um, that inspired me as well, but I just felt pretty good.

  • I just felt pretty good.

  • I mean, as I have the whole season, I begin better and better as the game goes on and felt good from the beginning.

  • And just try to keep it going.

  • And quick follow.

  • Senator Rob Portman and your home state of Ohio announced he's gonna retire in 2022.

  • And there's some calls for you Toe step into the void There.

  • Uh, what do you think about that?

  • And would there ever be a political future?

  • E I haven't thought about that at all.

  • I e still got a job to do here and playing game at a high level when we continue Thio, see what I can continue to do at this.

  • You know, this beautiful game of basketball old to the game is getting so much to me.

  • So I owe to the game, you know?

  • But I haven't even thought about, you know, political stance are being in office and things of that nature on that side that z definitely not in my my thinking right now.

  • Yeah, Senator, I have a question.

  • The, uh how How the feeling is it to come back to Cleveland and obviously play the game you had but to do it, you know, by showcasing the evolution of your game, right?

  • Um, the three point shooting is something that when you first into the league, you didn't have to this level.

  • Um how what does that say?

  • Kind of just about how ah players game is always evolving and continuing to change and get better.

  • Um, you know, I just I've always I just never put a ceiling on my potential.

  • Um, I've always you want to get, continue to get better and better and better toe to a point where, um I also now can dictate with the defense what to do.

  • And the defense can't dictate what I'm supposed to do on when you're younger.

  • You're you're learning game is not where it can be or should be.

  • And that's okay.

  • Because, you know, if you put the work in, you put the time It takes a long time.

  • Um, if you want it, you know, if you wanna be great, like if you wanna be, um, you know, great at what you do.

  • Then it takes time.

  • Andi.

  • I understood that.

  • And, you know, it takes, you know, adversity after adversity after adversity.

  • And, you know, I saw that clip.

  • You know, it was, uh it was great yesterday from my good friend Travis Kelsey when the Cole Harmon fumbled.

  • Hey, fumbled that punt return.

  • Um, he went to him on the bench and said after the next possession, he got the you know, the end around for 51 yards, and then they went to him on the quick screen pass for a touchdown.

  • Travis Kelsey went to him on the sideline and said, You know, that's how you handle adversity.

  • That's how you handle adversity.

  • You know how you handle it smack in the mouth.

  • And for me, I've always tried to handle adversity by just saying, Let's smack in the mouth and let's continue to get better and better and better In the best teacher in life was experience so long I thought that zipper part of my career alarm.

  • Hey, LeBron, can you take us through your day leading up to the game today and what you were not able to do that you would normally do in a in a game back in Cleveland?

  • And what were some of the things that you mean?

  • Obviously mention your mom, but the things you were able to do that well besides not being able to stay in my own home, Um, that's the only thing that was different.

  • But I treated just like a world game.

  • Um, you know, woke up, um, went got treatment early ice down.

  • I'm started to prepare for the game.

  • We had our team meeting, um, a breakfast.

  • And then I took my nap.

  • Pregame that on got up something.

  • I got up.

  • I started, started preparing for the game a little bit and then put the film down.

  • Then I started watching Frank Sinatra documentary, um, finished that first episode, and then I got dressed and came to the renting started Prepared for the game.

  • So a normal game day routine for me, probably besides the documentary.

  • But I had a little bit more time because it's eight o'clock games, so I got an opportunity.

  • Watch.

  • It's not your doctor.

  • A little bit.

  • Oh, LeBron.

  • At the end of the third quarter, um, you missed a shot on duh.

  • Looked like you're having an interaction with somebody on the on the sideline across from Cleveland.

  • Bench was wondering who that was that someone you know.

  • And if that added a little fuel to the fire, having having someone sit in their lives, there's someone I know for sure, And, um, I felt like it was just a little bit too excited about seeing me missed.

  • And, uh, you know, So that's what that's what happened.

  • Anything else on that are He knows who he is, or e I know is, um you know, he's part of front office group, uh, you know, But, you know, it was really excited about about me missing, you know, that shot a little bit mawr extra then I would have liked, but, you know, he got a roof for him and for his team, obviously.

  • And he was, you know, showcase status.

  • So, you know, I knew I had another quarter on the fourth quarter.

  • Is my favorite, Jason Lloyd.

  • Wow.

  • So many ways to go after that one.

  • But it's been this happened twice.

  • Now, where you leave in the wheels, they have to put the wheels back on the organization, and they re build this thing over a couple of years.

  • Do you pay closer attention to them than you do any other teams?

  • Because it's hometown are they just wanted 29 a site on the nights when you're not playing them.

  • Do you watch them at all during the season?

  • Yeah.

  • Yeah.

  • I still watching because I still got a couple teammates from the team on, uh, like a little brother.

  • Minds on the team is well in hand.

  • Darius Garland.

  • Obviously, Kevin still here?

  • You know, Jedi is one of my obviously.

  • You guys know my relationship with God.

  • I love that kid so much.

  • You know, I got the opportunity play with Larry Jr as well, um, S O and then the staff.

  • Besides, you know, I didn't play for, you know, for Coach J B.

  • But a lot of their staff members were still over there a swell that I spent a lot of years with, um, and pride.

  • I call him the greatest equipment guy in the in the world.

  • You know, Mark Cashman, aca Cobra.

  • Uh, he's phenomenal.

  • Love that guy s Oh, you know, I do a place, you know, it's always play a coach attention to what's going on.

  • And I think, you know, J B has done a hell of a job and, you know, they've been drafted well and made a couple trades.

  • But, you know, you could tell that team is improving.

  • They got some some young guards that's very dynamic and column and Darius and, you know, you know, the rest of they could build around, so I got some very young pieces that they can you know, but their future behind.

  • So we'll see what happens.

  • Can you give us the initials of who of the front office guy?

  • No.

  • Now, can you give us one of the e housing like that?

  • Housing like that?

  • I had to try.

  • Good thing for him.

  • I only come here once, so it's all good once a year.

  • Thanks.

  • Let's go toe.

  • Marla Ridenhour.

  • Yellow Bronze.

  • Sorry that for a non basketball question, But I just want to ask you about the Tangier project.

  • And is this just one step in the vision?

  • I mean, are you their soul?

  • You know, Is it Is there more to come?

  • Uh, well, I mean, obviously, this is a huge project for us on us taking this building over such a prestige building such a monumental building in our hometown of Akron, Ohio.

  • Um, first of all way even.

  • Thank you know, everyone has been in part, is allowing us to take that over and do we want to do to it, But it's just about continue to change lives and power.

  • Families and power kids and, um, give them a support system that they once believed there wasn't there.

  • So for us to be over, take over this building.

  • And we're gonna outfitted with so many different, you know, avenues for us to continue to build our families continue to build our legacy through our kids and through our families.

  • And there's just another step in the right direction.

  • And there will be more to come, you know?

  • But, you know, we want to make sure we get this right.

  • We've done some things, you know, way have.

  • Right?

  • Right now we want to continue to build off of this and then go from there.

  • Did it hurt a little bit that you couldn't stop by there big time?

  • Absolutely.

  • Miss my kids.

  • The last two.

  • Chris Fodor.

  • Hey, Lebron, Good to see you again.

  • Um, obviously you've done the homecoming, the return thing.

  • But when you come back to Cleveland at this point in your career, do you still get those added emotions because of everything that goes into it?

  • Absolutely.

  • I mean, I've been early 18 years, and I spent 11 years out of that.

  • I'm here.

  • I'm seven and then four on, uh, to know what happened before I got here in 2003 to see the franchise and the sea.

  • You know, the type of conditions that was in for us to just build and build and build and build and build all the way to 2016 till we was able to deliver a championship to the city, To this franchise, It's something I will always remember.

  • It's a lot of things that you're gonna forget throughout your life.

  • Old age or moment.

  • Wasn't his great or, you know, you've had so many other great moments.

  • Um, but the moment that I spent here in the championship that we had a 16 and you know, being drive here, there was just moments I want I will never forget.

  • So, um, I would be unhuman, Um, even though you guys probably think I am on human the way I play the game.

  • But, um, emotionally, uh, you know, it's still there.

  • Always.

  • And then was there something that said front office member said to you that really struck a nerve.

  • Now he didn't say a word.

  • I told you he was just a little bit too excited about me missing that shot it.

  • It's a million cameras, and he's and he's, uh, he's a range.

  • I just gotta find a clip to see how excited he was.

  • And I missed.

  • It was Don't take it.

  • Take it.

  • Well, last question.

  • Rachel Nichols, LeBron.

  • You have stretches of regular seasons over the years.

  • You where you've worked on different things.

  • I remember one year in Miami where you were very focused on your efficiency, right for the whole month and different things like that.

  • What are you focusing on in your game right now?

  • What are you tinkering with or working to get better?

  • Um, you know, right now, it's all about rhythm, um, and continue to work on my conditioning.

  • Obviously, after the short off season, I didn't get an opportunity to really dive into the lab like I've I've grown accustomed to over my career when I could break down a lot of film and then break down areas where I know I need to get better at, um, I didn't have much time, obviously, because of the quick restart, I didn't have much time to do that.

  • So, you know, working myself back in thio rhythm, working myself back into, You know, the best condition I could be in for a long hard What I'm really thinking about right now and also just keeping my mind sharp was very challenging.

  • You know, when you do what we did in the bubble, then come right back to it.

  • You know, 61 or 71 days later, 71 day.

  • I think there's something.

  • Um it was just, you know, you didn't even get an opportunity to kind of, like, let your mind just just can't even just, like, relax or just let my mind just go elsewhere.

  • Back of my mind.

  • You know, once they set that date for December 1st, my mind was already had to think about basketball.

  • So I'm just keeping my mind sharp.

  • That's the most important.

  • You know, that's the most important right?

  • Now get some great sleep, you know, fueling my body with the right nutrition and things of that nature and then just keeping my mind sharp.

  • What are some things you could do for that?

  • To keep your mind sharp in the way that you're talking about?

  • I can't tell all my secrets.

  • Already got an open door policy with this league players that won't, guys.

  • But I can't tell it all.

  • I gotta say something.

  • My book.

  • Rachel.

  • Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content subscribed to ESPN, plus.

what went into tonight.

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