Games with Names - LeBron James Stories

Episode Date: April 26, 2026

NBA Legends and celebrities talk about LeBron James and his impact on the NBA, Playoffs, and his Finals appearances.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2026 NFL draft is here and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the free IHeart Radio app. Open the app, search NFL Daily, and listen now. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserved. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Welcome to games with names. I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation highlight reel starting now. Now, Paul Pierce, on the difference between Caves LeBron and Heat LeBron. Ron, they had some pretty good players, though. I remember Delante and Boobie Gibson. Booby. Yeah, Larry Hughes. Yeah, they had Logis, who was an all-star.

Big Z. He became an all-star if he wasn't this year. But that was pretty much, it was LeBron. As LeBron went, they went. Yep. You know, that's pretty much what it. We feel like if we could slow him down or whatever or minimize the other guys, we would beat him. Now, this is his fourth year in the league, or fifth?

Fifth. This is fifth year. His fifth year in the league, he's 23 years old. Yeah. Like, just explain to the listener how athletic he was. Yeah, he's probably the best. Like, if you, I was watching him taking on, you, you took on like everyone. You guys had to have a plan to stop this guy because he was a fucking absolute beast in there.

Like, he's just so athletic, so strong, so fast. Strength was insane. Like how he got up? Yeah. I mean, just, I mean, obviously, you know, when you look at him, he's a physical specimen. He's built like a power forward, but playing guard. You know what I'm saying?

Like, and if he was born two years earlier, he probably would have been a power forward. You know, he's the same size as Ben Wallace. Everybody know Ben Wallace, how big he was and strong or athletic he was. And he played the guard. And the way he could move was just like something that you really didn't see from guys his size.

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? The athleticism, the IQ, all of that. And, you know, he had a lot of pressure coming in into the league. You know, he lived up to every bit of it. He has. You know what I'm saying? The hype.

Yeah. He had the most hype out of anyone. Like out of anybody. We all saw the Hummer in high school. The S. I cover of the chosen one. Yeah. Over at St. John's.

St. St. Mary. St. Mary. St. St. Mary. St. Vincent. I mean, I remember. I was in Ken at that time.

I was in no. when he got drafted the Celtics or the Cavs. I went Chapel Hill and bought a shoe. It's like crazy, bro. He's a young dude. Now, what's the difference between Cavs LeBron and Heat LeBron?

Is there a difference? Way different. And current LeBron. I thought he was faster, stronger, better when he got to Miami. He just kept on getting better. Yeah. No, it was crazy because I remember sitting

because I sat out the first game we played him in Miami, I believe. And I was just watching. And I was like, I couldn't believe how, it looked like he was a faster, stronger player at the time because he got under the Spostra umbrella,

which is like Pat Riley, that's like a no, they don't mess around in their camp. They like, you got to be in major shape. You got to hit certain goals. They was like probably the strictest, most disciplined team in the NBA at the time. Yeah.

The way they ran their camp, just from the former players that played, there, you know, it was just like, dang. He got under that. And so it looked like he got even better. I think that's peak LeBron for me. Peak LeBron's heat, heat LeBron? Yeah.

I think, yeah, that's peak LeBron. I believe. Headlebron is peak. Now, Pooka talks about meeting LeBron James at a Lakers game. Living in L.A., what's the coolest thing you've done this offseason? What's the coolest thing you've done? Shoot, I had to be 100% meeting LeBron James. Like, LeBron James?

LeBron James. Right after the Luca trade, his first home or the first home game is against the jazz. And I'm supposed to do like a jersey swap with Luca. I'm so excited. I'm playing my best music on my way down to crypto. I'm having a good time. My high school buddy calls me. He's like, yo, what are you doing?

I'm like, I'm about to go meet Luca. I'm like, we're about to do a jersey swap. As soon as I say jersey swap, I realized I forgot my jersey. Oh, fuck. I'm like, oh my gosh, I blew it. Like, it's over. You go to the dicks right down the street. Your jerseys everywhere here.

I'm like, so I'm like, I don't, he's about to give me like a game jersey. Like I'm about to give him one of my game jerse. Like, so I'm like, we got it. We're trading like for real for, I don't want to give him like a something off of like fanatics. That's not like one of the real ones. So I'm like, holy cow, what am I about to do? Luckily the freaking, we do it after game. So after game, we got, we get a jersey.

My actual jersey, he gives me a pair of shoes and we're sitting there taking photos right by the tunnel. and then 10 seconds after we're done taking a photo, LeBron James walks out of like their locker room. And it's like, the media is kind of right there. And he kind of, he sees me. He's like, yo, I didn't know you were coming in tonight. I'm like, I only come to watch you, bro.

And then he's like, oh, let me drop my, he's like, let me put away my yo-yo. He's like, post-games, got all this stuff going on. He's like, and I'm like, I got this long sleeve like hoodie on. I'm like, I need to pull my sleeves up. This needs to be the best dap of my life. Like, it's LeBron James, bro. Like, so I wind up for clean, clean smack tap. I'm like, oh, he's like, what's up, man?

Like, how I was like, man? I'd come watch you and Luca. They won that game. And then we got to chop it up for a little bit. There was kind of media around. He's like, man, you like, you know I'm always rocking with you. And I was like, bro, like, every ounce and every cell in my body was just screaming. Because, like, I'm born in 2001.

I've been watching LeBron James my entire life. Yeah. Ever since I remember watching basketball, he's been there. And now I'm living in L.A. And he's like, yo, like, I'm rocking with you. I was, it was unreal. That's unreal. I got a quick question, though.

What size shoe does Luca wear? I think he's like a 14 or 15. 15. Yeah, because when I, I'm a size 13 and a half, I wear some 14s, he was like, yo, like, you got a good size feet too. I was like, I'm not 6'6, but I'm like, I do got a big foot. So you gave him cleats? No, no, no, no.

I'm going to say, what if Luca put on the cleats? He's like, click, click, click, click on the hardwood. Oh, my gosh. Man, LeBron James getting me. I've never met him. I've done a bunch of stuff with his production. company, Maverick. And I've met Mab a few times.

He's been real cool. He's bigger than you think too, right? Oh, yeah. They're all, dude. I mean, other than Rich Paul is the only, like, kind of small one. But Mavrecard, I'm like, I said. Mav's big. Yeah, that's like a basketball player.

Yeah. But, you know, with LeBron, now that he's kind of an underdog because of his age, I've jumped on his wagon even harder. Because I went to college at Kent State. And the year he got drafted, I was in Northeast Ohio, right down the street from where he grew up in Akron. Really? I remember going to Chapel Hill Mall

buying his first, his first shoe thinking it was so cool being in Ohio with, you know, LeBron at the university. And I mean, it's been so remarkable to see the longevity of this guy. Like, he's 40 years old and he's punking

dudes still. It's unreal. It's really a testament to how hard he takes his craft, his dedication to his body. And he's never been in trouble. It's fucking nuts. Yeah.

Like he's the epitome of what a professional athlete should want to be in his life. Regardless of what you think of LeBron James, he is a fucking, he's our generation's Jordan. Yeah. A hundred percent. Set the standard for sure. It's been unreal. I can't imagine being inaccurate at that time. Like, well, like, it's the prime hype of everybody waiting to see what LeBron

James is going to look like in the NBA and you're right there in the heat of it. The heat. It was so crazy. They used to have this big mural of like Josh Cribs on the side of the like, it was like a Nike ad on the side of the buildings in Cleveland. And as soon as, I don't know, it was LeBron. And then when LeBron left, they put Josh Cribs up there. But LeBron owned that city, man, in that area.

It was so cool to be a part of. What do you like about LeBron? Well, I think the like the mental toughness of being like, man, ever since I've walked in, even before I was the number one pick in the NBA draft of like everybody was looking at me to be the one to lead the way, the great one and like he's only surpassed everybody's expectations. Everybody's like, are you going to be Michael Jordan? Are you going to be Magda Johnson? And he just went out and became LeBron James to everybody who now we know is the 50,000 leading the NBA. And as a basketball fan, I'm like, I just,

I just love watching the game. There's something that, that the fluidness and like the elusiveness that is in the game of basketball that you don't get in football in the exact same way, that I'm like, I could watch basketball all day, every day. Like, there's something about. of this is so soothing to the brain. Next up, we got Mark Cuban's pitch to LeBron to come play for the Mavericks. Now, you're in Shark Tank. Yeah.

You've heard millions of pitches. Yeah. Millions. You were in on the LeBron sweepstake. Tried to be. What was the pitch? I want to hear this legendary pitch, a man that has heard so many pitches in his life.

You know, what was your pitch? We didn't get a chance really to sit down and pitch him, pitch him. So I had to go through different channels, right? Through Maverick and other people I knew. And it was basically... Perfect guy to go through, by the way, with the Mavericks. Yeah, Maverick Maverick, right?

Maverick Carter. And it was basically, this will be your town. And you and Dirk together, compliment each other with Jason Kidd as a point guard. But we never had to sit down with him. That was Cowboys fan he was. Yeah, and that's exactly right. We even got a little message from Jerry, you know, a little video from Jerry and Tony Romo and all these guys.

And yeah, it didn't work, but it worked. It worked. Next up, Jeannie Bus on What Makes LeBron James so great. What makes LeBron special? You told the story about him and his leadership post-Cobie. After that, through this run, when did you say, like, this guy is a bad man in a great way? Like, bad man meaning good man. Just watching him work, like, in practice, I mean, it's,

It just, it doesn't, it's, it's hard to comprehend what he does. Yeah, at his age. And that he's hungry for it and that he works so hard because there's no shortcuts for this guy. It's Kobe-esque? Yeah, but in a different way, you know, like he, he's just, I mean, he's his, his physique, he's like a train. Like, he's just so strong. You can't stop him. There's, if I saw him coming at me, I'd be like, oh my God, scream.

It'd be skill sick, Gary. I mean, that's probably what 90% of the league says. Exactly. Oh, you're so scary. Now, the atmosphere inside when they had like the fans and the fake fans and, you know what I mean? How was, that had to be almost like a practice. It was bizarre. Because when we were playing our games, we played in empty stadiums.

And I remember playing in Seattle. And it reminded me of like Reminded me of high school football when you were scrimmaging against another team because you could hear I we could hear them making their calls You know, you can hear the other coat their coaches on the sideline you can never hear any of that It was just like all you heard was like the love of the game which there was something special about that You know was it like that for basketball? All you hear is just yeah. Yes, let's all you hear it because there's no surrounding noise. Yep.

So you guys have it in the bag. You have your second best outfit. Yeah. Did you have something prepared for afterwards to say the team? Yeah, I had my speech and, you know, written out. And that's like, that's your Super Bowl. Yeah. So like I, you know, I, I, it was really important to me to get that right because that's, you know,

that's what the governor does. And if you notice in my speech, you know, I talk about the fans and how it was really for them and that we were going to bring the trophy back to L.A. where it belongs. And so now I'm done with my speech. And normally the commissioner would hand you the trophy, right? but we were like everybody was like eight feet apart so so you know that part didn't happen and I didn't want to walk over and pick up the trophy myself and I so I said to the players that's your trophy you pick it up like I'm not going to hand it to you like I don't need the photo of me holding the

trophy. So I, like, if you notice, I never hold the trophy. I walk over to the team and LeBron comes over and hugs me and whispers in my ear, I told you we would do this. This, you know, this is what we, this was our goal and we did it. Like, enjoy this moment. And that was really, you know, he's done it a few times. So he had better practice at it than I did. It's something different, though, when you're a Laker. I mean, it's, it's the Lakers. Yeah. There's the Celtics, Lakers, that's basketball.

Yeah. Next, Gronkin Jules on why LeBron could have played in the NFL. LeBron probably would have been a monster. LeBron would have been an absolute monster on the football field. I can kind of see him being like the hybrid F tight end. Yeah. You know what I'm talking about? So tall.

He's six, what is he six? Nine. He's just so tall. but he's he's got the athleticism to be able to pull off the F position. I don't see him being like a true why, you know, throwing himself, you know, at defensive ends, nine techniques, the ends that are like 280, 290. I don't see him doing that, but I see, I see him just, you know, blocking the linebackers, blocking the safeties when needed, but also just dominating in the past game.

I mean, he's a freak of an athlete. And I feel like I really wish he tried out. for the NFL. Like remember there was talk for about, like, three, three to four years, about 10 years ago that, you know, a couple NFL teams were trying to give him an opportunity. I think Coach Carroll offered him a roster spot up in Seattle. I just was hoping to see that happen. I just wanted to see his athleticism translate to the football field because I've seen

his highlights, you know, his highest, your highlights. And guys just an absolute beast. Beast. Beast. I would have been awesome. would have been awesome, but it never went down. There will always be the folklore and the talks about it. Now, we got Michael Rubin on while LeBron is still so dominant at his age. Who's the funnest guy you like to watch?

Who's like your favorite player to watch on the team? I mean, I got to say, I'd still say it's Braun, because I just have so much respect. At his age, who's doing what he's doing is spectacular. And I think it seemed prior to Tom and Brom, Bron. It's inconceivable that you could play the level that these guys are playing at the age they're at. And all, like, I like to joke around and be the, you know, have fun with my friends, but like, I can't wait to see Tom come back at 48 years old in this flag football game and see,

does he look as good as ever? Because I think he's going to, because he's working out to accomplish that. When you look at Bron at 40 years old and what he does day in and day out, it's pretty spectacular. And I was listening to Charles Barkley a couple days ago saying like there's a time and he just hates to see old guys where you don't have the last couple years, Braun still got it. Like, so for me on this list, you know,

it's Bronn without question. It's hard to argue. I would say either Braun or Steph, just because Steph is like defying odds. When I see him shoot and do the things he did, like he's literally revolutionized the game. But you asked me for one, I answer,

no, so like if you want, by, by it for me, I feel like it'd be Braun, Steph, JT, book.

I mean, you asked me for one person. I try to answer your question. Braun versus Jordan, then. Who do you got? Answer that question. You answer it first. I know, you're old how you're going with Jordan.

You know, I used to be that way. And then with what you just explained, Braun is in his 40s, and he was the best guy on that court in this game. Like, we wouldn't have won if it wasn't for Braun and the other guys, but he took over the game at like 39 in the world. Because at the end of the day,

he has those killer instincts that when he has to kill, like that's not the guy you fuck with. Next up, Rick Flair on how LeBron is the coat. Oh, every day. I live on sports. Of course, I love LeBron. I know Michael, but I still think LeBron's better. Ooh.

Just, LeBron, just a different kind of cat, man. 6-8, 260, or 6-9. Michael is 6-6-6-15. You know, I just think, I don't know what record LeBron has to break. Yeah. To say he's the man, but I love LeBron. Now, J.M.R. and Jules compare LeBron James to Tom Brady. You ever hang with LeBron at all?

No, no. I think that's the best thing that happened to Luca is that he got to see how LeBron prepares. It's true. Yeah, I mean. That is the best thing for him. Well, who was that guy for you? Was there a guy? Tom Brady.

Yeah. I mean, I can go in there. see this guy get his armworked on 24-7. He's only eating avocado and fucking deer poop or whatever it is. I was eating avocado and fucking. Yeah. I was like, all right. Whatever he, and it like he.

Deer poop? Yeah. I just cocked out. Because I think there's like some good stuff in there or whatever. But he would eat and fuel his body and he was the oldest guy in the room and he was playing like the youngest guy in the room, which LeBron, you could say the same thing with him now. standing up for me that was Dane Cook.

I'd go to the laugh factory every night, me and the late 90s. And every night, it was like, who's going to have set of the night, me or Dane? Thanks for listening. Remember to tune in every Tuesday for a brand new episode and every Sunday for another games with names highlight.