After spending some time with the South Bay Lakers to recover from his injury, LeBron James worked with the Lakers’ G-League team head coach Zach Guthrie during his time there.
About this, Guthrie was asked how it was to be coaching alongside LeBron. He, candid as always, opened up and shared his rare experience with the NBA legend as he was recovering from a sciatica.
LeBron James brushes off a fan while Carmelo Anthony laughs at the moment
An unexpected assignment
Guthrie described his shock the moment he realized he was writing practice plans for LeBron James.
To have the greatest player of all time, join your practice … What an opportunity for each and every one of us. Something unbelievable for me as I’m typing up my practice plan to type in LeBron James is pretty crazy
He described the experience as “unbelievable,” highlighting that even drafting in LeBron’s name when preparing drills felt surreal for him. And also for the other players
Learning from a true legend
For the younger South Bay players, the chance to train with LeBron was more than just a dream transformed into motivational lift, it became a learning lab. Guthrie pointed out how impressed he was with LeBron’s physical care and routine, saying:
How he takes care of his body is incredible. There’s a lot of our guys to learn … on top of the wonderful experience
Guthrie believes LeBron’s presence those days set a powerful example of professionalism, work ethic, and longevity to his young players, qualities that can shape their future careers.
His path in the G-League environment was just a strategic step in his rehabilitation, but for the other guys it had a meaning that nothing else can be compared to. As he is recovering from right-side sciatica he must be really careful and preventive, as it has sidelined him from the Lakers’ season start.
According to reports from ESPN, LeBron did not just go through the motions, he looked good, moved well, and most importantly, experienced no bad feelings after his practices.
