Mind the Game

Last updated

Mind the Game
Mind the Game logo.jpg
Presentation
Hosted by
Genre Sports
Format
  • Audio
  • video
Created by
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Production
Production
  • Uninterrupted
  • ThreeFourTwo Productions
No. of episodes9
Publication
Original releaseMarch 19 –
June 5, 2024
Related
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2024
Subscribers657K [1]
Total views33.5 million [1]
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg100,000 subscribers2024
Last updated: June 24, 2024

Mind the Game is a basketball podcast hosted by American basketball player LeBron James and coach JJ Redick. At the time of the podcast's debut on March 19, 2024, James was an active player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), while Redick was retired NBA player and then a sports podcaster and NBA broadcast analyst for ESPN.

Contents

On June 24, just a few months after the podcast's debut, Redick was introduced as the head coach of Lakers and stated he would not continue podcasting in the role. It is unclear if Mind the Game will continue without Redick.

Development and release

Hosted by LeBron James and JJ Redick, Mind the Game is produced by James' and Redick's media production companies, Uninterrupted and ThreeFourTwo Productions, respectively. While the series is James' first venture into podcasting, Redick had been in the space for years prior. Redick was first approached in the summer of 2015 to join NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski's then new website, The Vertical, as a writer. [2] Still an active player at the time, Redick declined, thinking he would not able to balance writing with his playing workload. That October, Wojnarowski pitched the idea of Redick hosting a podcast instead. [2] In February 2016, Redick became the first active NBA player to host a weekly show when he launched his podcast with The Vertical, part of Yahoo! Sports' network. [2] [3] Redick hosted 40 episodes of his podcast for Yahoo! Sports, as well as a singular one produced by Uninterrupted. [4] Redick was also the subject of The Process, a short documentary film produced by Uninterrupted in 2017. [5]

Redick also met media producer Tommy Alter, who suggested the former host a podcast for The Ringer . Alter's production credits include The Shop , a talk show-formatted web series starring James. [2] Redick went on to host for three seasons, the final of which was co-hosted by Alter. [2] In 2020, following his stint with The Ringer, Redick co-founded ThreeFourTwo Productions along with Alter and the two began hosting The Old Man and the Three podcast. [2] [4] Bleacher Report reported that ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jay Williams stated that Mind the Game "was broadly in the work for years as an idea and predated [Darvin] Ham's tenure" as head coach of the Lakers. [6]

Mind the Game premiered on digital streaming platofrms on March 19, 2024, with its video format being released on an eponymous YouTube channel. [7] [8] [9] [10]

In June 2024, Redick signed on to be the head coach of James' Lakers. During his introductory press conference on June 24, Redick stated that he was "done with podcasting", including his appearances on Mind the Game. [11] At the time, the podcast released nine episodes. [11] On the future status of Mind the Game, Sports Illustrated writer Eva Geitheim stated "it's unclear if James will continue the podcast on his own, bring on a new co-host, or end the podcast altogether". [11] Meanwhile, ESPN writer Dave McMenamin referred to the podcast as "shuttered". [12] Redick did however add during his introductory press conference that there would be closure of sorts for Mind the Game, stating "we'll just do something for all of the people that listened and we'll have a small little video". [13] [14]

Content

Mind the Game featured James and Redick discussing and analyzing the game of basketball, primarily in an "X's and O's" fashion. [15] [16] James Caspian Kang of The New Yorker described that in the video form of podcast, James and Redick are "shot in an intimate style with a lot of wine bottles littered around the set". [16] Episodes feature Redick explaining basketball jargon so that the audience can later follow along when he and James "meticulously" analyze particular plays, which included some of James' from throughout his career. [16] Redick's explanations are delivered in solo monologues and in the video version of the podcast, his explanations are accompanied by on-screen definitions and he is featured drawing up the actions he describes. [17]

Reception

After the first episode of Mind the Game was uploaded, Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated called the podcast "a must listen". [18] Traina wrote that since Redick already proved himself a "tremendous podcaster" in the space and added that James' foray into podcasting was successful, calling him "a natural" and praising his mixture of "X's and O's with fun and lightheartedness". [18]

Writing on the series after its first five episodes premiered, Kang wrote that "The show's gambit is to bring star power and the perspective of real insiders to analytical commentary, renegotiating the sportswriter's balance between geeky shoptalk and the audience's love of narratives". [16] Marcus Thompson II of The New York Times wrote positively of James' and Redick's work on the podcast, opining that although "it drips with pretension at times" and "occasionally delves into condescending tones", audiences should "be patient" with the show as the hosts "eventually descend to proletarian realms". [17] Thompson II added that "Most of the episodes are actually spent right where you want them: talking ball, breaking down plays and players, rehashing memories. You don't even notice the swirls and sips because it's too captivating when [James] slides into his zone of explanation". [17] Thompson praised the chemistry between James and Redick, calling the latter a "worthy floor general" for the show and writing that:

Vulnerability, clearly, is to be coaxed out of [James]. The show could certainly use more of it. But Redick squeezes out enough to avoid predictability. It's [James'] analysis of it all, the triumphs and the struggles, that offers the show's greatest gems and makes it a compelling digestion. [17]

Stephen A. Smith, the host of ESPN's First Take talk show stated that "numerous coaches, Black coaches, called me expressing how they took issue with that podcast taking place". [6] Smith also opined that James' decision to launch the podcast in the middle of the 2023–24 NBA season while the Lakers' then head coach Darvin Ham was on the "hot seat" was an "egregious thing". [6] Smith added that many of the coaches who contacted him felt that it "hurt" Ham's standing as the Lakers' coach. [6] Ham was fired from his position following the Lakers' elimination from the 2024 NBA playoffs and Redick emerged as a widely reported candidate for the vacancy; ESPN analyst and reporter Andraya Carter stated that Mind the Game reflected Redick's ambitions to be an NBA coach. [6]

The first episode of Mind the Game received over 1.3 million views on YouTube in its first day, attracting 227,000 subscribers in the same period. [19] By the time Redick was hired as the Lakers' coach, the episode received nearly 4 million views. [15] Each of the nine episodes received over 700,000 views at the time of Redick's hiring. [11]

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal release date Viewers
(millions)  [lower-alpha 1]
1"What Makes a Great Basketball Player?"March 19, 2024 (2024-03-19)3.89 [20]
2"The Hardest Actions to Guard in Basketball"March 27, 2024 (2024-03-27)2.21 [21]
3"Basketball Evolution"April 3, 2024 (2024-04-03)1.60 [22]
4"The Spacing, The Icons and The Block"April 10, 2024 (2024-04-10)1.04 [23]
5"The NBA Playoffs"April 17, 2024 (2024-04-17)1.13 [24]
6"How Three-Point Shooting Changed Everything"May 1, 2024 (2024-05-01)0.74 [25]
7"Breaking Down the 2024 NBA Playoffs (So Far)"May 8, 2024 (2024-05-08)0.82 [26]
8"The Conference Finals"May 22, 2024 (2024-05-22)0.95 [27]
9"The NBA Finals"June 5, 2024 (2024-06-05)0.82 [28]

Notes

  1. ↑ as of June 24, 2024

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</span> American basketball player (born 1947)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was a 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. He was a member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, and was twice voted the NBA Finals MVP. He was named to three NBA anniversary teams. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he has been called the greatest basketball player of all time by many of his contemporaries such as Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, and Julius Erving. Abdul-Jabbar broke the NBA's career scoring record in 1984, and held it until LeBron James surpassed him in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeBron James</span> American basketball player (born 1984)

LeBron Raymone James Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the sport's history and is often compared with Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player of all time. James has won four NBA championships from 10 NBA Finals appearances, having made eight consecutive appearances between 2011 and 2018. He also won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 with the Lakers and three Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. men's national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBA All-Star Game</span> All-Star Game in the NBA

The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of February, the same day that the Daytona 500 was held, and one week after the Super Bowl. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a three-day event which goes from Friday to Sunday. The All-Star Game was first played at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBA Finals</span> Championship series of the National Basketball Association

The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which replaced the original Walter A. Brown Trophy in 1976–77, though under the same name until 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Salley</span> American basketball player

John Thomas Salley is an American former professional basketball player. He was the first player in NBA history to win championships with three franchises, as well as the first player in the NBA to win a championship in three different decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JJ Redick</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1984)

Jonathan Clay "JJ" Redick is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He most recently served as an analyst for ESPN. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, winning many individual awards. He was selected 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2006 NBA draft and subsequently played for 15 seasons in the NBA, with six different teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Breen</span> American sportscaster

Michael Breen is an American play-by-play sports commentator. He has been the lead announcer for NBA games on ABC and ESPN since 2006, including the NBA Finals. He is also the lead announcer for New York Knicks games on the MSG Network. Breen previously called NFL regular season games for both NFL on Fox and NFL on NBC, as well as New York Giants preseason games.

<i>NBA on TNT</i> NBA basketball telecasts aired by cable network TNT

NBA on TNT is an American presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games, produced by TNT Sports. In the United States, the TNT cable network has held the rights to broadcast NBA games since 1989, making it TNT's longest-running regular program and sporting event, dating back to only a year after TNT's launch on October 3, 1988. Its telecasts have also been streamed on its Max platform since 2023. TNT's NBA coverage includes the Inside the NBA studio show, weekly doubleheaders throughout the regular season on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a majority of games during the first two rounds of the playoffs, and one conference finals series.

<i>NBA on ESPN</i> US television program

The NBA on ESPN is the branding used for the presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games on the ESPN family of networks. The ESPN cable network first televised NBA games from 1982 until 1984, and has been airing games currently since the 2002–03 NBA season. ESPN2 began airing a limited schedule of NBA games in 2002. ABC began televising NBA games under full ESPN production in 2006. On October 6, 2014, ESPN and the NBA renewed their agreement through 2025, and on July 24, 2024 it’s agreement was renewed through 2036.

<i>First Take</i> (talk show) Sports talk show broadcast by ESPN

First Take is an American sports talk television program on ESPN. Episodes air daily Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 am ET until noon, with reruns from noon to 2 pm ET on ESPN2 and from 2 to 4 pm ET on ESPNews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Vogel</span> American basketball coach (born 1973)

Frank Paul Vogel is an American professional basketball coach who was most recently the head coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the head coach for the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, and Los Angeles Lakers, leading the Lakers to an NBA championship in 2020. Vogel began his career as an assistant coach for the Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics.

The 2016–17 NBA season was the 71st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 25, 2016, with the 2016 NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers hosting a game against the New York Knicks. The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 19, 2017, with the West defeating the East 192–182. Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans was named the All Star Game MVP after breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record by scoring 52 points in the All Star Game. The original host of the game, Charlotte's Spectrum Center, was removed as the host on July 21, 2016, due to the league's opposition against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act. The regular season ended on April 12, 2017, and the playoffs began on April 15, 2017, and ended on June 12, 2017, with the Golden State Warriors going 16–1 in the playoffs and beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games during their third consecutive matchup in the NBA Finals. This was the last season for the NBA to use Adidas jerseys. Starting with the 2017-18 NBA season, the jerseys were from Nike. Additionally, Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors, and Dwyane Wade with the Chicago Bulls, after playing their entire careers until then with one team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 NBA All-Star Game</span> American basketball competition

The 2020 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 16, 2020, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 season. It was the 69th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at the United Center in Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls. Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis, 157–155. This was the third time that Chicago hosted the All-Star Game. The other two times, in 1973 and 1988, the game was played at Chicago Stadium, the Bulls' previous home arena. The game was televised nationally by TNT for the 18th consecutive year, and simulcast by TBS for the 6th consecutive year. After airing a “Players Only” broadcast a year ago, TBS returned to simulcasting TNT’s coverage, after the “Players Only” brand was canceled by the NBA and Turner Sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronny James</span> American basketball player (born 2004)

LeBron Raymone "Bronny" James Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans. A consensus four-star recruit, James was named a McDonald's All-American as a senior in high school in 2023. He played one season of college basketball for the USC Trojans before being selected 55th overall by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft. He is the eldest child and teammate of professional basketball player LeBron James Sr., making them the NBA's first active father-son duo.

Nick Wright is an American sports television personality, sports podcaster, and former sports radio talk show host. Wright is a co-host on Fox Sports 1's First Things First (FTF) alongside Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard. Wright also hosts his podcast What's Wright? with Nick Wright with Damonza Byrd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 NBA All-Star Game</span> Sports competition in Atlanta

The 2021 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on March 7, 2021, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2020–21 season. It was the 70th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was hosted at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Hawks. With teams captained by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Team LeBron won the game 170–150. Giannis Antetokounmpo of Team LeBron was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. The game was originally scheduled to be held in Indianapolis, but it was relocated to Atlanta due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting scheduling conflicts with the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The game was televised nationally on TNT for the 19th consecutive year, and simulcast on TBS for the 7th consecutive year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 NBA season</span> 75th NBA season

The 2021–22 NBA season was the 76th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 19, 2021, and ended on April 10, 2022. For the first time since the 2018–19 season, the NBA returned to its usual October to April regular season schedule after the previous two seasons were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 NBA All-Star Game was played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on February 20, 2022. The play-in tournament was held on April 12–15, 2022. The 2022 NBA playoffs then began on April 16, and ended on June 16 with the Golden State Warriors defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.

Professional athletes have a documented history of going into the sports media industry after they retire from their playing careers. In the mid-to-late 2010s, there were a growing amount of instances of players pursuing media ventures even during their playing careers. Often times, athletes utilize the podcast medium to disseminate their media output, with these podcasts covering the athletes' respective sport.

The 2024–25 Los Angeles Lakers season will be the 78th season of the franchise, its 77th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), its 65th season in Los Angeles, and its 26th season playing home games at Crypto.com Arena. On May 3, 2024, the Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham and all of their assistant coaches, including Phil Handy, who had been with the team since their 2020 championship season. On June 24, 2024, the Lakers hired JJ Redick as their new head coach. They will enter the season as the defending NBA Cup champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uninterrupted</span>

Uninterrupted is an American multi-platform media company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. Its primary focus is on sports media, with an intended aim to highlight athletes' voices in the sports media space.

References

  1. 1 2 "About Mind the Game Pod w/ LeBron James and JJ Redick". YouTube.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nadkarni, Rohan (January 21, 2022). "How JJ Redick's Podcasting Career Took Off". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  3. ↑ Kavner, Rowan (January 28, 2016). "Redick To Be First Active NBA Player With Weekly Podcast". NBA.com . Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Cacciola, Scott (August 3, 2020). "After 100 Podcasts, JJ Redick Widens His Range". The New York Times . Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ Burton, Josh (July 20, 2017). "JJ Redick Goes Behind-The-Scenes On His Free Agency Decision in Documentary". Slam . Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Zucker, Joseph (June 17, 2024). "Stephen A.: Coaches Took Issue with LeBron, JJ Redick Podcast amid Ham, Lakers Rumors". Bleacher Report . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ Noh, Stephen (March 19, 2024). "LeBron James & JJ Redick podcast: Explaining defensive idea for America's play, or BOB, from 'Mind the Game' | Sporting News". Sporting News . Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  8. ↑ Axon, Scooby (March 19, 2024). "LeBron James, JJ Redick team up for basketball-centric podcast". USA Today . Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  9. ↑ Weprin, Alex (March 18, 2024). "LeBron James and JJ Redick Set Basketball Podcast 'Mind the Game'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  10. ↑ Marchand, Andrew (March 19, 2024). "LeBron James, JJ Redick teaming up for new basketball-centric podcast". The Athletic . Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Geitheim, Eva (June 24, 2024). "JJ Redick Reveals Whether Or Not He Will Continue Podcasting After Taking Lakers Job". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ McMenamin, Dave (June 24, 2024). "JJ Redick acknowledges inexperience, shares vision for Lakers". ESPN . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  13. ↑ Quinn, Sam (June 24, 2024). "JJ Redick confirms he's 'done with podcasting' as he takes Lakers coaching job: 'I am excommunicated'". CBS Sports . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  14. ↑ Woodroof, Cory (June 24, 2024). "New Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed his podcasting days with LeBron James are over". USA Today . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  15. 1 2 Golliver, Ben (June 20, 2024). "Lakers to hire former player and podcaster JJ Redick as head coach". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Kang, James Caspian (April 26, 2024). "Could "Mind the Game" Change the Way Sports Are Covered?". The New Yorker . Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Thompson II, Michael (April 16, 2024). "LeBron James and JJ Redick's 'Mind the Game' podcast takes hoops discourse to new territory". The Athletic . Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024– via The New York Times.
  18. 1 2 Traina, Jimmy (March 19, 2024). "From Steph Curry Praise to Bashing Trades, LeBron James's New Podcast Is a Must-Listen". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  19. ↑ Gutelle, Sam (March 20, 2024). "LeBron James gets 1.3 million YouTube views in one day with first episode of new podcast". Tubefilter . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  20. ↑ What Makes a Great Basketball Player?. Mind the Game. March 19, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024– via YouTube.
  21. ↑ The Hardest Actions to Guard in Basketball. Mind the Game. March 27, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024– via YouTube.
  22. ↑ Basketball Evolution. Mind the Game. March 27, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024– via YouTube.
  23. ↑ The Spacing, The Icons and The Block. Mind the Game. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024– via YouTube.
  24. ↑ The NBA Playoffs. Mind the Game. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024– via YouTube.
  25. ↑ How Three-Point Shooting Changed Everything. Mind the Game. May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024– via YouTube.
  26. ↑ Breaking Down the 2024 NBA Playoffs (So Far). Mind the Game. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024– via YouTube.
  27. ↑ The Conference Finals. Mind the Game. May 22, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024– via YouTube.
  28. ↑ The NBA Finals. Mind the Game. June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024– via YouTube.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.