In the NBA, league hierarchy is determined a number of ways—MVP trophies, All-Star selections, annual salary. When it comes to a player like LeBron James, the 23-year veteran has certainly checked off many of those boxes.
There’s a reason he’s known in the league as The King. But this year, LeBron has decided to do something he’s never done before.
The King has chosen to play Robin.
Indeed, last week, LeBron stunned the sports world by choosing to sign a two-year contract close to league minimum with the Philadelphia 76ers, a team with a former NBA MVP (Joel Embiid), two bona fide All-Stars (Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown) and a rising rookie (VJ Edgecombe).
You could say James is now fifth on the depth chart.
There’s another metric in the Association that defines star status—it’s called “usage.” The best players are often in the mid-30s, meaning they touch the ball about a third of the game. LeBron has often been at the top of usage rankings.
That is all going to change now.
Without getting into the weeds of how an NBA offense works, there are going to be many times in the upcoming season when LeBron will be the guy standing in the corner waiting for a pass.
For big chunks of the season, Maxey, Brown, Edgecomb and Embiid will have the ball, looking to score. For most 41-year-olds that would be fine. But for LeBron? The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a four-time champion and four-time MVP? Well…
But that’s what he’s decided his future to be.
LeBron wasn’t traded to Philly. The team and situation wasn’t thrust upon him. No, he took it on willingly. Of course, LeBron is one of the smartest players in the NBA. A billionaire, he knows his way around the league. He knows what team he’s signing onto.
At this stage in his life, LeBron is announcing to the world that he’s willing to take a support role. It’s a new era and I, for one, marvel at it.
For years, the rap with LeBron teams was that anyone who came to them knew two things: 1) they would win a lot of games and 2) the team was built around LeBron’s style.
Now? LeBron is the one who is saying, “I will fit to the rest of the roster.”
He will defer to the lightning quick Maxey, to the rough-and-tumble Brown, to the high-flying Edgecomb and big man Embiid. He will pick his spots, rebound, assist, shoot the open jumper and be there whenever needed. He will also be the old guy in the locker room, helping the young guys come along.
There’s an old saying amongst coaches in the NBA. They’ll tell you—there is nothing harder than coaching an aging superstar. Someone who thinks he’s still the top-5 player in the league but who is more like a top-50 one now.
LeBron is eschewing that narrative. He’s saying he can be supremely coachable.
How many of us could do the same? While we might not be NBA players, what would we do in our own careers if we found ourselves in a position likes James? Would we pout? Would we hold out for star status, a bigger contract?
Or would we do like James did and sign for near minimum just because we love the work, the life?
James doesn’t need the money—like I said, he’s already a billionaire. But what his joining Philadelphia proves is that he is a fan of basketball, a person who loves being on the team, and one who will do whatever it takes to win.
And you know what? LeBron might just end the upcoming season an NBA champion for the fifth time in his career.
We all can learn from that example.
As a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, and 13-time New York Times Best-Selling author, Don Yaeger is one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. From walking into Afghanistan with the Mujahadeen to living with football legend Walter Payton, Don has spent three decades embedded with the world’s greatest "Greats." Now a sought-after executive coach and host of the Corporate Competitor Podcast, he translates the lessons of sports and business legends into actionable strategies for building a culture of greatness.
