Mind the Game

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Mind the Game
Presentation
Hosted by
GenreSports
Format
  • Audio
  • video
Created by
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Production
Production
  • Uninterrupted
  • ThreeFourTwo Productions
No. of episodes5
Publication
Original release2024
Related
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2024–present
Subscribers564K[1]
Total views20.4 million[1]
100,000 subscribers2024
Last updated: April 24, 2024

Mind the Game is a sports podcast hosted by LeBron James and JJ Redick. The show's first episode premiered on March 19, 2024.[2][3][4][5]

Background and development[edit]

Mind the Game is hosted by American professional basketball players LeBron James and JJ Redick; while James is an active player, Redick was retired by the time the podcast premiered in March 2024. It is produced by James' and Redick's media production companies, Uninterrupted and ThreeFourTwo Productions, respectively.

While the series is James' first venture into podcasting, Redick had been in the space for years prior. Redick was first approached in the summer of 2015 to join NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski's then new website, The Vertical, as a writer.[6] Still an active player at the time, Redick declined, thinking he would not able to balance writing with his playing workload. That October, Wojnarowski pitched the idea of Redick hosting a podcast instead.[6] In February 2016, Redick became the first active NBA player to host a weekly show when he launched his podcast with The Vertical, part of Yahoo! Sports' network.[6][7] Redick hosted 40 episodes of his podcast for Yahoo! Sports, as well as a singular one produced by Uninterrupted.[8] Redick was also the subject of The Process, a short documentary film produced by Uninterrupted in 2017.[9]

Redick also met media producer Tommy Alter, who suggested the former host a podcast for The Ringer. Alter's production credits include The Shop, a talk show-formatted web series starring James.[6] Redick went on to host for three seasons, the final of which was co-hosted by Alter.[6] In 2020, following his stint with The Ringer, Redick co-founded ThreeFourTwo Productions along with Alter and the two began hosting The Old Man and the Three podcast.[6][8]

Reception[edit]

After the first episode of Mind the Game was uploaded, Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated called the podcast "a must listen".[10] Traina wrote that since Redick already proved himself a "tremendous podcaster" in the space and added that James' foray into podcasting was successful, calling him "a natural" and praising his mixture of "X's and O's with fun and lightheartedness".[10]

Episodes[edit]

No.TitleOriginal release date Viewers
(millions)
1"What Makes a Great Basketball Player?"March 19, 2024 (2024-03-19)3.73[11]
2"The Hardest Actions to Guard in Basketball"March 27, 2024 (2024-03-27)2.11[12]
3"Basketball Evolution"April 3, 2024 (2024-04-03)1.51[13]
4"The Spacing, The Icons and The Block"April 10, 2024 (2024-04-10)0.96[14]
5"The NBA Playoffs"April 17, 2024 (2024-04-17)0.97[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "About Mind the Game Pod w/ LeBron James and JJ Redick". YouTube.
  2. ^ Noh, Stephen (March 19, 2024). "LeBron James & JJ Redick podcast: Explaining defensive idea for America's play, or BOB, from 'Mind the Game' | Sporting News". Sporting News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  3. ^ Axon, Scooby (March 19, 2024). "LeBron James, JJ Redick team up for basketball-centric podcast". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Weprin, Alex (March 18, 2024). "LeBron James and JJ Redick Set Basketball Podcast 'Mind the Game'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Marchand, Andrew (March 19, 2024). "LeBron James, JJ Redick teaming up for new basketball-centric podcast". The Athletic. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Nadkarni, Rohan (January 21, 2022). "How JJ Redick's Podcasting Career Took Off". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  7. ^ Kavner, Rowan (January 28, 2016). "Redick To Be First Active NBA Player With Weekly Podcast". NBA.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Cacciola, Scott (August 3, 2020). "After 100 Podcasts, JJ Redick Widens His Range". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Burton, Josh (July 20, 2017). "JJ Redick Goes Behind-The-Scenes On His Free Agency Decision in Documentary". Slam. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Traina, Jimmy (March 19, 2024). "From Steph Curry Praise to Bashing Trades, LeBron James's New Podcast Is a Must-Listen". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  11. ^ What Makes a Great Basketball Player?. Mind the Game. March 19, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ The Hardest Actions to Guard in Basketball. Mind the Game. March 27, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Basketball Evolution. Mind the Game. March 27, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ The Spacing, The Icons and The Block. Mind the Game. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ The NBA Playoffs. Mind the Game. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024 – via YouTube.
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