“He matches his talent with a work ethic and you don’t see that very often, particularly if you’re the most talented guy in the league.” That statement from Miami Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra speaks volumes. It’s easy to assume the most gifted athletes coast on natural ability, but Spoelstra reminded us that’s rarely the full story. It takes a fire inside, a kind of relentless drive that even raw talent can’t replace. Sound familiar? Think Michael Jordan. Think Kobe Bryant. Their legendary obsession with self-improvement has long been the benchmark. But somehow, LeBron James doesn’t get brought up enough in those conversations. Until now.
Enter Udonis Haslem. The longtime Miami Heat forward has seen the grind up close, and he’s made it his mission to spotlight just how much King James pours into the game. Haslem’s moment of truth came during a chat with Florida Gator champions Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton Jr.—and it was eye-opening.
“Everything you do… It’s a lifestyle. And I learned this from LeBron… We’ll have practice at 10… [LeBron] got there by 8. By the time he’s already lift weights, he’s got his shots up. He has been on the training table by the time practice start, LeBron has been through a whole two and a half hour training session just to get ready and prepare for practice,” Haslem recalled on The OGs.
Now pause for a second—imagine showing up to work and realizing your colleague has already put in an entire shift before the actual shift starts. That was LeBron James, day in and day out. Haslem admitted Bron didn’t even need to go that hard at practice—he was operating on a level most couldn’t touch. Yet he still gave it everything.
“If I could tell you anything that this, this is not a job, fellas. This is a lifestyle. You don’t have no off season… When the season’s over, you get your a** in that weight room, you focus on building your body and getting in the best shape you possibly can… This is literally a 24 hour job,” Haslem said.
Is it any surprise that even Kobe Bryant tipped his hat to that kind of commitment? If anyone knew what sacrifice and preparation looked like, it was the Black Mamba. “I’ve come to expect him to have a long career because of his size and the way he takes care of his body and his commitment to the game. It’s a pretty simple formula,” Kobe once told SLAM magazine.
Credit: USA Today Netwrork via Imagn Images
So the next time someone chalks LeBron’s greatness up to just genetics, remember this: the real game-changer isn’t always what’s visible during tip-off—it’s what happens in the shadows, long before the lights come on. But there will always be ones to claim it’s all because he spends an insane amount of money on his body. But how true is that rumor?
LeBron James opens up on rumors of him spending $1.5 million on his body
At 39, most NBA players usually reminisce about their glory days. But not LeBron James. As he stepped into his 22nd NBA season, he reminded fans once again that he’s not just playing—he’s still dominating. Think about it: Vince Carter also made it to 22 seasons, but by then, he was playing a limited role with the Atlanta Hawks. LeBron, meanwhile, is still the heartbeat of his squad.
Naturally, with that kind of longevity, fans have been buzzing for years about what it takes to keep his body performing at such an elite level. The internet ran wild with talk that he drops $1.5 million a year just on recovery and upkeep. Things like cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, and red light therapy are often thrown around in conversations about his routine. But none of that has ever been confirmed.
LeBron finally addressed the chatter himself in the Netflix series Starting 5. “I’ve heard this crazy notion about how much money I spend on my body per year, and I kind of just chuckle,” he said. He didn’t spill the actual number, but made it clear—time and consistency matter more than money. Something that Udonis Haslem has clarified: LeBron James does not step back when it comes to consistency and work ethic.
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