LeBron James is getting back into the podcast game. The four-time NBA champion is restarting his “Mind the Game” podcast, and it was revealed Wednesday that two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash will be joining James as the show’s new co-host. James started the show with JJ Redick last year before Redick was hired to coach LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers in June.
“Mind the Game” — returning on April 1 — was a treat last year for basketball fanatics as James, who has one the sharpest basketball IQs in league history, broke down plays and analyzed the game. Redick was no slouch either. The 15-year NBA veteran made a name for himself in the media space as someone who brought deep knowledge about the game while explaining it in an approachable way. That version of the podcast lasted for nine episodes in 2024, from March to June.
While Redick will no longer sit across the table with James, Nash will bring a level of expertise about the game that rivals James.
“I am self-aware that everyone has a podcast,” Nash said via The New York Times. “I recognize there’s a skill and talent to doing a podcast that I don’t take lightly. “I think there’s a lot of space there to share and to offer insights.”
Though Nash admits to not having a ton of experience in the podcasting game, something that Redick brought to the table, he certainly makes up for it with his illustrious NBA career that features two MVPs, eight All-Star selections and seven All-NBA selections. Nash also coached the Brooklyn Nets from 2020-2022.
James says he sees the podcast as a way to bring something new to the table in regards to the conversation around the NBA.
“It’s not more complicated than doing things I want to watch,” James said in a statement to The New York Times. “‘Mind the Game’ is straight up for the fans, especially when a lot of the shows are less interested in the game itself.”
While there is certainly plenty of content out there that breaks down the nitty gritty of NBA games, whether in written, video or podcast form, often the topics that rise to the top focus on ratings, load management or where a player’s standing is in the GOAT debate.
The podcast is set to return in April, and will be available on all podcast platforms, as well as a video component that will be exclusively available on Amazon Prime Video through a new deal with the Amazon-owned podcast network Wondery. The deal with Amazon is the company’s latest foray into the basketball world, after inking an 11-year media-rights deal with the NBA. With that deal, Amazon will have the exclusive rights to stream 66 regular-season NBA games starting with the 2025-26 season, including the NBA Cup, as well as first and second-round playoff games and some conference Finals games throughout the term of the deal.
