LeBron James lifts on game day, shoots three to five hours before tip, and calls one piece of his routine non-negotiable. "Tomorrow, we have a game. I'll go in early and I'll get a lift in before." "And then right after I lift, I'll shoot, you know, early, three, four hours, five hours before the game start." "Because it's a back-to-back on Friday, I probably won't lift that day. It'll be more of a recovery work and then a little bit of shooting as well, just to prep me for the game." "I have schedules dependent on how the games are flowing throughout the season." "That's routine with the schedule." "Yeah, yeah. Every day. Non-negotiable, for sure." The detail I keep circling is what survives the hardest day. Second game in two nights, the lift can go, the shooting can shrink, the daily activation never moves. There is nothing left to negotiate at that point, because the decision was made once, years ago, and the schedule is what carries it now. The promise you make to yourself in a calm moment is exactly the one you talk yourself out of when you are tired. His answer was to stop having the conversation at all. - LeBron James (@KingJames) on Mind the Game (@MindTheGamePod)