The basketball IQ of Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been in evidence over the last two decades, with some of his Lakers teammates offering convincing anecdotes of that ability.
That grasp of the game has been likened to having a photographic memory, with James remembering distant plays from the past with deep clarity.
Teammate Quinn Cook indicates that James’ knowledge of every player on an opposing roster includes knowing all of their tendencies.
“He knows everybody,” Cook said. “He could be last guy on the bench on the team, but he knows he’s left-handed, he’s a shooter, don’t go under him, he’s a driver, stuff like that. He pays attention to the game, he watches the game and he studies. He helps us get prepared just with his voice.”
Cook and other teammates of James have been regular witnesses to just how knowledgeable he is about the game.
This has been seen during routine film sessions in which James can easily break down the play calls of other teams and detail defensive schemes that are used.
“There’s a lot of play calls that I don’t know,” Avery Bradley said. “Me and Danny [Green] look at each other like, ‘What play is that?’ And LeBron knows where every guy is supposed to be, what you’re supposed to do, the timing of everything. His IQ is just crazy.”
That basketball intellect is one of the reasons that James can play virtually any position on the floor and still maintain or improve on his statistical numbers.
James simply attributes the gift he possesses as a God-given talent that he’s honed since first taking up the game.
Prior to the NBA’s suspension of play on March 11, James was averaging 25.7 points, 10.6 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game this season.
Those numbers were part of the reason why the Lakers had a Western Conference-best record of 49-14, but it’s clear that James’ knowledge of the game has aided the entire Lakers team.
Like all basketball fans, James is hoping for a resumption of the 2019-20 season, with the Lakers seeking to make a deep playoff run if that takes place.
