Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard - Wondery Presents: New Heights

Episode Date: January 30, 2025

92%ers this is for you! We’ve got King James himself stopping by on this episode of New Heights presented by Hershey’s. Shop Reese's Chocolate Lava Big Cup now at a store near you. LeBron sits down with Jason and Travis to talk all things Wild Card Weekend, how close he came to playing in the NFL, some of his favorite times hooping in Cleveland, the Championship that means the most to him, and his real thoughts on playing with Bronny. We also settle the debate on which league owns Christmas, get the backstory on a legendary pick-up game against Michael Jordan, and find out how much longer “this fuckery” can go on. Finally, as promised, we look ahead to the divisional round of the playoffs and blindly rank our favorite Will Ferrell movies. If you want to join us in supporting the relief efforts in California, please visit https://www.redcross.org/nflYou can listen to new episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. https://Wondery.fm/NH_RT See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Calling all 92 percenters, Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce are football's funniest family duo and every week they provide next level access to life in the league as it unfolds. In New Heights, the two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly like LeBron James, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and Caitlin Clark, just to name a few. Here's a clip of New Heights. Follow New Heights on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new and exclusive episodes early and ad free on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify. Joining us today, the six, nine,

forward from Akron, Ohio, the number one pick of 2003, NBA draft 2004, rookie of the year, 20 time NBA All-Star, four time MVP, four time NBA champion, three time gold medalist, and the NBA all-time leader in career points. That's right, 92 percenters, please welcome Northeast Ohio's finest, Mr. LeBron James! Let's go! Oh my God. Yo, yo, Jason, that might be the greatest introduction of all time.

Found at the end with the powder. Oh my goodness. You guys are fucking unbelievable. This dude is just wearing the powder too. Right, right. Who's going to clean that shit up now? Kylie is not going to be happy about this. We got a list of questions.

Again, you do not have to answer answer but we do have to ask them. There's a story about you playing in an infamous pickup game with Michael Jordan when you were 16 years old. What was it like? Is that true? Like, you tell us how you played. Yeah. So when I finally was

able to get on the court, first of all, MJ, Antoine Walker, and the rest of those guys did not let young guys get on the court at all and I was 16 years old. I was sophomore high school and it takes a while to get on the court. It's usually when the

older guys, they get tired and they don't want to play no more. They like whatever but I did and I was able to get on the court alongside. I was on the court with Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway, Ron Artest, Michael Finley, all these guys. Who guarded you? Nobody, I was unguardable. Oh!

Yeah! I was 16, I was ice cream sophomore. This is how I find this baby. There's a, you know. Was know. With 16, the baby from? Yep, that was the baby from. I was in Chicago at MJ's court. It was called Hoops. There's a clip out right now of actually

Metal World Peace talking about that moment as well. Like, I was. Oh man, I gotta check it out. When I finally got out there, I was like, I'm busting ass, man. I was nervous. I was nervous as hell. Like being out there with MJ and the rest of those guys. But I was like. I'm busting ass, man. I was nervous. I was nervous as hell being out there

with MJ and the rest of those guys. But I'm like. I was like, oh, I'm about to go crazy. And I did, I did, man. I did. I did. I did. That's awesome.

Man, I wish I was in that gym that day. That's crazy stuff, man. Well, you see all these shoes behind me, man. You already know I'm a sneaker head. I've collected them over the years, man. Um was it always Nike? I, you used to wear the T-Max at St. Vincent, St. Mary. I see, I think I've

seen you wear the uh the old Iversons. Was it always Nike? Trav? No, it was not. It was not always Nike. It was Nike when I was a young kid. When I was a young lad, obviously, you know, you, you know, I've been in love with Michael Jordan my

whole life. So, come on now. You know, I saw him. Uh Penny Hardaway, you know, Ken Griffey in love with Michael Jordan my whole life. So, you know, I saw him, Penny Hardaway, you know, King Griffey Jr., Bo Jackson, I watched all these unbelievable sports figures. So as a kid growing up, it was Nike. Once I got into the AAU program, started playing basketball, Adidas took us over, you know, and it became Adidas. It was Adidas was still there. Reebok came in.

Yeah. And one, you know, all these companies came in and they were like, you know, they're like, you know, we're gonna get this done. And then they were like, you know, we got this done. And then we got this done. And then we

got this done. And then we got this done. And then we got this done. And then we in. Yeah. And one, you know, all these companies came in and I took on three pitches. I did a Adidas pitch. I did a Reebok pitch. I did a Nike pitch. The best pitch that I got where I thought I was gonna end up was actually Reebok at one point. Reebok. I went to their meeting. I went to their meeting and I sat down across from their CEO and the guys that

was running basketball at the time. I don't know if you guys remember this, but Reebok had the NFL as well. Yes. Yeah. That's what it was when I first got in the league. Yeah, they had the NFL as well. So they you know, know, they knew my love for football as well. So they had all the NFL jerseys, all the pro bowl looking jerseys. That was going to be the next year. And I'm sitting across from the table. I'm a senior in high school.

I actually have to have I actually go to I'm going back to class the next day. They flew me in. I'm going back to St. Vincent, St. Mary the next day my senior year and the guy slides over a check to me at the end of the table. It's me and my mom and Maverick Carter at the end of the table and he says if if you don't go talk to any other companies, this is yours and I look at it. I look at it. 10 million fucking dollars. Oh!

10 million. Just right there as an 18 year old, I was still stealing change out of my dad's fucking piggy bank. To go get some candy and shit. I was a high school senior man, they gave me a check for $10 million and if I promise not to go see anybody else, I told him I need a break.

They stepped out. I need to fucking break time. I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Right. I sat there. I need a time out. My mom looked at it and me and my mom,

we're living in an apartment and you know, section eight housing in Akron. I'm going back. I don't have shit, whatever. And my mom looked at me. She said, son, trust your gut. If they're offering you this, then who knows what the other companies may offer you.

Okay, mom. Yeah, ma, she's composed. Yeah, she's super composed. She's like, we ain't got shit already. So it's not like, you know, it changes our life at this moment. So, it's not like, you know, it changes our life at this moment. Yes, maybe in

the future but I want you to trust your gut and do what you think is right. That's awesome advice, man. So, they came back in. I said, uh thank you. I will, you know, I will definitely like to continue our conversation but I will be remiss if I did not take those other pitches from the other companies.

I may have cried on the way home because I hadn't lived in two. Yeah, your question, man, I hope I just made the right decision. I was like, I could have bought the building that me and my mom was living in for that goddamn money. What? Easily, you already know. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts.