ONE OF THE dominant storylines of the NBA preseason has been the emergence of LeBron James as a leader.
The Cavaliers are younger and less experienced than his Miami teams, and LeBron is making big, overt gestures to show that he’s going to be the alpha dog this year.
Minutes before coach David Blatt was about to start the team’s first practice, LeBron abruptly called a players-only meeting that lasted for a half-hour. During the meeting he went around to all his teammates and told them what he expected of them this season.
During preseason camp he learned Blatt’s playbook in two days and preceded to stay after practice to teach his teammates the plays from all five positions.
In a new article by Lee Jenkins in Sports Illustrated, we get some more details about LeBron’s leadership offensive.
Lakers player Carlos Boozer, who played with LeBron in Cleveland 10 years ago, told SI that LeBron goes home and watches individual cut-ups of each of his teammates so he knows where to get them the ball. LeBron has continued that practice this offseason, Jenkins reports, watching tape of Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and the other Cavs so he’d be ready for training camp.
LeBron told Jenkins that he knew how to get Love points before they had a single practice together:
“I’ll get a better feel through practice, conversations, bus rides. But I do already know, let’s say if Kevin is struggling, there are a couple of ways I can position the other three players on the floor and get him a look in his sweet spot.”
Jenkins says LeBron got really into management strategies this summer, including the importance of body language:
“He has read several books on management styles and believes he must carefully monitor his body language so as not to discourage young players. He compares his charges with his two sons, who have different personalities and therefore require different teaching methods. “
Body language is a minor obsession in the business strategy world.
It’s clear that LeBron sees himself as some combination a chief executive and a father figure on this largely unproven Cavs team. Love and Irving have never been to the playoffs, or even come particularly close. Veteran players like Mike Miller, Shawn Marion, and Anderson Varejao have been around forever, but guys like Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson have never played a meaningful NBA game.
LeBron transformed himself physically this summer, losing a ton of weight of a 67-day diet. If all these anecdotes are to be believed, another significant transformation came in his demeanour off the court.
First Henshaw now Carty great to see some Athlone lads starting to make a breakthrough
Best of luck to Jack Carthy, great to see Connacht fielding a young, all Irish back line.
Would love to see Jordi have a great game at 7 and get into 6 nations contention to fill the gap left by SOB. Will also be keeping a close eye on Henry and Tommy O’ D tonight
C’mon Connacht.
Exciting game ahead. Leinster will be scratching after last yrs result but Connacht will meet ye more than half way!!!!
FYI. You have only listed 14 starting players for Leinster. Devon Toner has become a one-man machine in the second row…
Scratch that, you have added Tom Denton.
I have. He just about caught the bus. Cheers.
Tom Denton catching something? What’s seldom is wonderful
Kirchner on the wing, hopefully he’ll spark some exciting back plays.
Murphy at 7 puts even more pressure on Henry and o’donnell
He’s only back from injury but I really liked the work rate and professionalism of o donnell last year! I think at the moment if have him and murphy ahead of Henry in the long run
I’d rather go to a funeral than watch a rugby match
In that case shouldn’t you read an obituary column instead of an article on rugby?
Paulie I’d say you depress everyone at a funeral
Give it to him Lizzy!
Right in his Walnuts!
Haha, if I thought he had some Robby I would but my guess is he’s all mouth and no trousers ;)
Nicely put Elizabeth, well said!
There something wrong in the system when the IRFU won’t give the appropriate funds to a team who funds an all irish backline but prefers to spend money on big name signings to boost another provinces profile. Then they are wondering why they are not unearthing players to fill the roles of the retiring legends of the last few years? Connacht could be a good conveyor belt for Ireland in areas that are been missed, just look at Athlone.
Both Munster and Leinster are producing massive amounts of Irish players and ulster have brought some through too. To say spending money on overseas players is a waste is just wrong.
Players like Isa and rocky done so much for Leinster
As did dougie and him Williams for Munster and all these young ulster backs
I assume you’re referring to the same Connacht who are the only province not restricted by the IRFU’s stringent new rules on overseas recruitment & who boast more overseas players in their squad than any other province? Change the record. We’ve all heard this tune before
Del. We have relatively few non-Irish players and more and more of our squad is IQ. In face more and more of our squad is Connacht academy.
The reason why Connacht is not bound by the overseas rule is because the IRFU implicitly want Connacht to be a development province. They are not explicit about it because it annoys everyone here but that is the reason. Hence Connacht IQ players can be moved to other provinces and they are told to shop abroad.
The first example of this was Macca. Granted Connacht did well to bring Clarke in, but it will not always work out that like.
Personally I would much prefer Connacht to be properly funded and have the same rules apply to us as the rest of the provinces.