From discussing the fundamentals of basketball to the complexity of NBA playoffs, LeBron James and JJ Redick’s Mind The Game Podcast has left no stones unturned. In an era where different athletes come up with new podcasts almost every day, we have never seen anything like LeBron and JJ’s creation. But looking back at the show which premiered on March 19, and is now five episodes old, fans cannot help but wonder how the two basketball geniuses who hardly crossed paths before this, off the court, came together. And JJ spilled all the beans on Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal’s Podcast.

Making an appearance on The Big Podcast With Shaq, the Big Aristotle could not resist asking Redick how the Mind The Game Podcast started, as he thought LeBron and JJ weren’t even friends. With that, JJ made a shocking revelation: “I’ve never hung out with the guy prior to us doing the podcast.”

Even though JJ and LeBron were only one year apart in High School and met each other when they were teenagers, both went their separate routes after LeBron joined the NBA straight after High School and JJ played for Duke University for four more years.

Despite not sharing more than some greetings on and off the court, they mutually respected each other’s talent. And that turned into a partnership when the duo got the chance. With creating something different as his biggest priority, JJ partnered with LeBron because he is one of the Greats and is still playing at a high level, which brings a fresh perspective on how the game is played today. JJ added, “Just a mix of all that stuff just felt like a fun thing to do.”

JJ Redick’s media career might turn out even greater than his NBA career

Arguably one of the Greatest college ball players of all time, JJ Redick is no stranger to the spotlight. Since he was a teenager, Redick has mesmerized the crowd with his skills on the court, first playing four years for Duke and then fifteen years in the NBA. Even legendary college coach Mike Krzyzewski had great things to say about JJ’s college career, “Really no player has played any better than J.J. Redick played at Duke for four years.”

And in his fifteen seasons in the NBA, JJ achieved great things, from going to the NBA Finals in 2009 to being part of the Clippers’ iconic Lob City era to eventually playing alongside Joel Embiid and dominating. But since his retirement in 2021, unlike most retired athletes, he has made an even bigger name for himself in the sports media world.

Starting with his The Old Man & The Three Podcast, which has starred the likes of Stephen Curry and even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, to then joining ESPN’s First Take and taking his talent mainstream, while also announcing live games, it seems like JJ Redick is everywhere. And now that he has partnered with LeBron James, arguably the greatest player on Earth, JJ’s market value has gone even higher. As strange as it may sound, when it’s all said and done, his post-retirement career might outshine his achievements on the court as a player.