The Los Angeles Lakers took their long-running “Genius Talks” series out of the practice facility and onto one of golf’s most iconic stages over the weekend, attending The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club and spending time with Tiger Woods.
The Lakers traveled to Riviera Country Club, home of The Genesis Invitational, where Woods addressed the group and shared insight from his unparalleled career.
Woods’ career arc, from historic dominance to navigating the pressures and consequences of global fame, made him a fitting voice for a team led by stars accustomed to life at the top. James, in particular, took the opportunity to ask Woods about the mental challenges that come with sustained excellence.
“I asked him what the difference in the challenges of climbing the ranks was,” James told The Athletic’s Dan Woike. “What was the hardest challenge? Was it more of a challenge or harder to climb from zero to No. one — or stay at No. one knowing everybody was chasing you?
“Staying there. Staying at one. Staying the best player in the world,” James said. “When you got everybody chasing you and trying to knock you off the mountaintop, that’s more challenging. I mean, it’s hard getting up, you know, from zero to one. But my mindset when I left high school, I told myself that I gotta start back at zero, though.
“I knew I was the No. one player in the country as a high school senior and probably high school junior. But when I got to the NBA, I said, ‘I’m starting from zero, and now, I gotta get back to one again.’”
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has made it a point throughout his tenure to expose the roster to influential figures from sports and entertainment, with the goal of strengthening culture and perspective inside the locker room.
The program has previously featured names like Denzel Washington, Kendrick Lamar, and Will Smith, and this latest installment brought the team face-to-face with one of the most dominant athletes of all time.
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