LeBron James has spent more than two decades setting the standard for longevity in the NBA, but one thing the Los Angeles Lakers superstar refuses to use for energy is coffee.
Despite entering Year 23 still performing at an elite level, James recently revealed that a terrible experience during his Miami Heat days completely turned him away from caffeine.
“No, when I was in Miami playing for the Heat we had one early game start,” James said during the interview with Bob Does Sports. “I think it was like 12 noon start and I got a f—ing horrible night of sleep. So I woke up the next morning, I was like super tired. I told my chef, I was like, ‘Hey, I need something like coffee. Just give me the most basic coffee that you could give me, I need a little bolt of energy.’”
That decision immediately backfired.
“So I drank it, got to the arena and my heart and my anxiety was racing. Like racing, all the way up until it got to the point where I told my trainer I was like, ‘I may have to sit this game out cause I’m not calming down. All the way up until like 15 minutes before the game started. The heart was racing, everything was just speeding up and I was like, ‘Oh no, coffee’s not for me.’ That’s the end of it. I haven’t had coffee since. I think that was 2012 maybe.”
For most athletes, caffeine is a regular part of pregame preparation, but James has clearly found a different formula.
Even at 41 years old, he remains one of the league’s most dangerous transition players and continues to produce at an All-NBA level despite being the oldest player in the NBA.
James himself has joked that he feels like he is winning the battle against Father Time.
Given the production he’s still putting up without caffeine, it is hard to argue otherwise.
READ MORE: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Calls MVP Season a Failure After Elimination