LeBron James Says 2011 NBA Finals Loss To Dallas Mavericks Jump Started His Focus On Mental Fitness

LeBron James says he’ll be focusing on his mental health and partnering with the Calm app for a new series titled “Train Your Mind.”

The Los Angeles Lakers player sat down with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and opened up about how his loss to the Dallas Mavericks during the 2011 NBA finals made him want to shift his mind towards mental health. “After Dallas, I knew that the physical side wasn’t going to be enough. And how I got out of my comfort zone, I lost the love of fun for the game. And I knew that was the mental side,” he said.

James went on to say that he now finds solace in meditation even in chaotic environments, which he says is all a part of mental training.  “When you’re on the road, 20-thousand screaming fans going crazy, to be able to find a moment, two minutes, a minute, 30 seconds, to close my eyes and calm myself. It’s meditation basically. It’s worked tremendously for me in my career,” James said.

How are you training your mind?