Weird LeBron James Pre-Game Ritual Revealed by All-NBA Former Lakers Superstar

Anthony Davis revealed how particular LeBron James is about one specific part of his pre-game preparation.

Weird LeBron James Pre-Game Ritual Revealed by All-NBA Former Lakers Superstar

LeBron James and Anthony Davis

LeBron James has played with several star NBA teammates through 22 seasons. Anthony Davis probably stands over the rest of the players he played with in terms of the amount of support he provided. A lot of basketball fans believe that Davis has been the best Laker during his five season tenure in Los Angeles, and with legitimate reasons. Davis was in his prime when he played alongside James from 2019 to 2025.

Despite being dealt to Dallas in the earth-shattering Luka Doncic trade, Anthony Davis holds a fond spot in his heart for his former co-star. The 10-time NBA All-Star believes James has a legitimate GOAT argument. Speaking on a podcast, ‘The Brow’ had a lot to dish about his tenure with the Purple and Gold brigade. One of the topics he touched upon was a peculiar superstition that LeBron James sticks to.

One guy known as one of the greatest of all-time, if not the greatest. As soon as he gets to the arena, he takes his entire uniform, from the jersey to the shorts, the socks, the shoes, everything, and lays it on the floor. And no one can touch it. It became a thing where you can’t even walk over it. You have to walk around it.

Anthony Davis on LeBron James’ pre-game superstition

This is far from the only idiosyncrasy in James’ routine. The King claims to sleep 10 to 11 hours on a daily basis, something he believes has helped his longevity. James may not be waking up at 4 AM during the offseason to work on his game like Kobe Bryant. But he has his own stringent standards for workouts, including reaching Crypto.com Arena five hours before tipoff on a gameday.

Athletes have always had a weird fixation on doing things strictly by routine while sticking to superstitions. The way Anthony Davis describes James’ set of beliefs seems to hardly move the needle when compared to others. Russell Westbrook, for example, eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches buttered in only one specific way pre-game. Any deviation, and the meal goes to waste.

Did Anthony Davis and LeBron James underachieve in Los Angeles?

The Lakers’ front office relentlessly chased the elusive trifecta of AD’s health, LeBron’s continued dominance, and a supporting cast that can actually hit shots. It was a quest that proved to be maddeningly elusive. Each promising young core player (except Austin Reaves) somehow morphed into a role player or a disappointment.

When AD was on, he was unstoppable – a dominant force who could single-handedly will his team to victory. But when he was off, or injured, or just plain human, the Lakers’ championship aspirations tended to vaporize. It’s a cruel irony that one of the most physically gifted players in the league is also one of the most injury-prone.

LeBron, of course, was the yin to AD’s yang. A transcendent talent who’s somehow managed to defy Father Time (so far). Together, they were a formidable duo, with LeBron’s intelligence and court vision complementing AD’s athleticism and scoring prowess. But even the best duos couldn’t compensate for AD’s Achilles’ heel: his durability.

One could argue that despite making the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and winning the bubble championship, the Anthony Davis era in Los Angeles yielded less success than it was supposed to. The team missed the playoffs in 2022 and was dumped in the first round twice. They could barely pose a threat to the defending champion Denver Nuggets during the 2024 playoffs, losing in five games.

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