LeBron James’ Wise Counsel to Young NBA Players: Embrace Hard Work and Steer Clear of the Pitfalls of Stardom

After the Los Angeles Lakers earned an impressive road win over the New York Knicks on Saturday night, Lakers star LeBron James was asked to give advice to young players in the NBA, and the league’s all-time scoring leader didn’t disappoint.

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Naturally, James started out by highlighting respect and work ethic as two key components to success, but then he took aim at the celebrity trappings that seem to consume some young players.

“The cars and the jewelry and all the other dumb s— that don’t matter, means absolutely nothing,” James said after his team’s 113–105 win at Madison Square Garden.

“I see a lot of these young kids—they get so unfocused about stuff that is so material that they could lose they focus. Just worry about the game. If you worry about the game, everything will take care of itself.”

LeBron James through the years

James’s credentials to speak on the matter are a given at this point. The 39-year-old is in the midst of his 21st NBA season and has been playing professionally since he was 18.

In that span, he’s almost surely seen every type of player and knows the difference between who’s great and who’s not.

The four-time NBA champion was recently selected to his 20th All-Star Game and is averaging 24.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.

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