James: Adjusting the style of play according to the characteristics of teammates and the needs of the team is a necessary survival wisdom for players

October 9th Today, Lakers star James’ basketball podcast “Court Brain” aired the first episode of its third season. James and Nash talked about many topics.

When asked how to adapt to teammates with different styles such as Irving, Wade, Big Eyebrow and Doncic, James said: "In the first seven years in Cleveland, I mainly served as the core ball-handler. Although my teammates shared some of the organizational pressure during the period, I was always the tactical initiator and controlled the rhythm of the game. After moving to Miami, I realized that I had to change my style of play, because Wade is also the core who needs the ball. When the usage rate dropped, I learned Know how to cover in transition offense, clear the strong side for Wade, attract the defense through solid coverage, and create space for them to break through.

"Later, when I returned to the Cavaliers to partner with Kyrie (Irving), my experience adapting to the Heat made it easy for me. He was like a magician in possession of the ball. Everything was easy. I allowed Kyrie to complete his independent offense. When the defensive formation was torn apart, I immediately linked up with him through tactics such as quick screens and cross screens.

"After coming to the Lakers, I worked with special inside players like Anthony Davis. He can directly promote counterattacks when he grabs the basketball. This allowed me to develop reverse screening tactics, allowing forward players to set screens for the inside. Nowadays, few fourth and fifth positions can deal with this extraordinary situation. This creates space for AD to perform magic.

"Adjusting the style of play according to the characteristics of teammates and the needs of the team is a necessary survival wisdom for players. It is especially difficult for players who are accustomed to holding the ball. When all players have the ball, how to maximize team benefits? I’m fortunate to have mastered this complementary art through the guidance of the coaching staff at Miami. The process was indeed challenging, but in the end we formed a perfect synergy. "