>> LEBRON JAMES IS AT THE
PODIUM.
>> HI LEBRON.
IF YOU CAN PUT THE LAST YEAR
INTO CONTEXT, -- [INAUDIBLE]
IF YOU AGREE WITH THAT.
>> IT IS HARD TO THINK ABOUT,
THE SEASON STARTED SO FAST AFTER
LEAVING THE BUBBLE, OBVIOUSLY.
I WAS TALKING TO WES IN THE
LOCKER ROOM A FEW MINUTES AGO.
I SAID THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME
MORE THAN ANYTHING, WE NEVER GOT
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE OUR FULL
TEAM AT FULL STRENGTH EITHER
BECAUSE OF INJURY OR COVID OR
SOMETHING GOING ON WITH OUR
BALLCLUB.
WE COULD NEVER FULLY GET INTO A
RHYTHM AND NEVER SEE THE FULL
POTENTIAL OF WHAT WE WERE
CAPABLE OF.
ALL IN ALL, MY HEAD IS OFF TO
EVERYONE ON THIS TEAM WHO SHOWED
UP EVERY DAY TO WORK, TO COMPETE
, TO PUT IN THE TIME AND EFFORT.
WE FELL SHORT OF OUR GOAL, BUT
WE TRIED TO DO EVERYTHING WE
COULD TO BE AS GOOD, AS GREAT AS
WE COULD BE UNDER THE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
I ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT
PHOENIX.
MONTY WILLIAMS AND THAT TEAM
WERE EXCELLENT, ALL OF THEM.
MUCH RESPECT.
>> HOW DID YOU COME ALL -- COME
THROUGH THIS PHYSICALLY, HAVING
A WHOLE OFF-SEASON AT THE STAGE
OF YOUR CAREER?
>> IT'S GOING TO WORK WONDERS
FOR ME, OBVIOUSLY.
DURING THE SEASON I TALK ABOUT
REST -- I DON'T LIKE TO PUT MY
MIND AND FRAME INTO THAT.
BUT IN THE OFF-SEASON I GET AN
OPPORTUNITY TO REST.
TO RECALIBRATE, GET MY ANKLE
BACK TO 100%, WHERE IT WAS
BEFORE THE ATLANTA GAME.
THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
FOR ME.
EVERYTHING ELSE FEELS EXTREMELY
WELL.
MY ANKLE WAS THE ONLY THING
BOTHERING ME.
IT NEVER FULLY GOT BACK TO
BEFORE THE INJURY, BUT I'M HAPPY
I WAS ABLE TO GO OUT THERE.
>> A LOT OF TIMES WE ASK YOU
ABOUT THE THINGS YOU ACCOMPLISH,
YOU SAY WHEN IT IS ALL OVER YOU
WILL GO BACK WITH -- [INAUDIBLE]
CAN YOU LOOK BACK AT THAT RUN IN
THE CONTEXT OF EVERYTHING YOU
SACRIFICED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT
FOR THIS LAST DECADE AND A HALF?
>> WHAT IS THE FINALS STREAK?
>> IS IT NINE?
>> I TORE MY GROIN MY FIRST YEAR
WITH THE LAKERS, WE DID NOT MAKE
IT.
>> EVERY TIME HE MADE THE
POSTSEASON YOU MADE THE FINALS.
>> LIKE I TELL YOU, EVERY SEASON
IS DIFFERENT, EVERY CHALLENGE IS
DIFFERENT.
TO PUT MYSELF WHERE I CAN EVEN
HAVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, TO EITHER
BE BROKEN OR CONTINUED, IT IS
ALL THROUGH THE GRACE OF THE
MAIN ABOVE.
HAVING GREAT TEAMMATES, GREAT
COACHING STAFF.
RECORDS ARE -- IF IT IS A RECORD
OR NOT, THEY ARE ALWAYS MEANT TO
BE BROKEN.
IN THAT FASHION, IT DOES NOT
MATTER TO ME AS FAR AS NOT
MAKING IT OUT OF THE FIRST
ROUND.
GETTING THIS TEAM BACK HEALTHY,
ME NOT BEING ABLE TO BE AT MY
FULL STRENGTH THROUGHOUT THE
SERIES, THAT'S MY MAIN FOCUS.
TIME TO READJUST AND THINK ABOUT
WHAT THE OFF-SEASON HAS IN
STORE.
>> THIS IS A REALLY BIG PICTURE
QUESTION.
18 MONTHS SINCE THE WORLD SORT
OF STOPPED.
I THINK -- WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE
BEING A BASKETBALL PLAYER IN
THIS ENVIRONMENT?
THE TESTING, THE RESTRICTIONS ON
THE ROAD.
THIS IS HOPEFULLY A ONCE IN A
LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.
WHAT DO YOU TAKE FROM IT?
>> I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT JUST
FROM THE MOMENT WE ENTERED THE
BUBBLE TO NOW TODAY.
IT HAS BEEN DRAINING.
MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY,
SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY
DRAINING.
NONSTOP -- IT DID NOT STOP ME
FROM COMMITTING TO THE GAME, TO
THE WORK, PUTTING IN THE WORK,
MENTALLY TRYING TO STAY SHARP AS
I COULD, TO ALL THIS, IT HAS
BEEN MENTALLY DRAINING.
DEALING WITH -- EVERY TEAM HAS
TO DEAL WITH IT OBVIOUSLY, BUT
WITH US IN MIAMI, THE LONG HAUL
IN THE BUBBLE AND COMING BACK ON
SHORT NOTICE, IT HAS BEEN VERY
DRAINING.
I COMMEND MY TEAMMATES, THE
COACHING STAFF, THIS
ORGANIZATION BEING READY TO GO.
GIVING EVERYTHING WE HAD TO THIS
LEVEL.
BUT MADE THE BETTER MAN WHEN AND
THE SUNS -- BETTER MAN WIN
AND THE SUNS WERE BETTER
THROUGHOUT THE SERIES.
>> LAST SEASON YOU BROUGHT IN A
LOT OF FACES TO A TEAM THAT WON
A CHAMPIONSHIP.
THIS TEAM DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE
TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AT
FULL STRENGTH IN THIS
ENVIRONMENT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS TEAM
DESERVES ANOTHER SHOT IN SOME
FORM?
OR DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE
LARGER CHANGES?
>> ROB HAS DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB
CONSTRUCTING THIS TEAM.
HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
HE ALWAYS ASKS FOR MY INPUT.
HE HAS A.D.'S INPUT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT
TO CONTINUE TO GET BETTER.
I TRUST ROB, TRUST EVERYONE
UPSTAIRS, OUR COACHING STAFF,
THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
NUMBER ONE THING FOR US IS
GETTING A.D. HEALTHY.
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT CHANGES
WE MAKE.
WE HAVE TO GET THE BIG FELLA
HEALTHY BACK TO WHAT HE WAS
BEFORE THE INJURY.
GET MY ANKLE BACK RIGHT.
I ALREADY KNOW I WILL BE 100%
WHEN THE SEASON STARTS IN
OCTOBER, AND GO FROM THERE.
PUT US IN THE BEST POSSIBLE
CHANCE TO BE SUCCESSFUL NEXT
YEAR.
ROB WILL DO DUE DILIGENCE AND
CONSTRUCT THIS TEAM WHERE IT
NEEDS TO BE.
>> WE WILL TAKE A COUPLE MORE.
>> WE SAW THOSE PICTURES OF YOU
GIVING THE SIGNED JERSEY TO
BOOKER.
WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?
WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE
PLAYOFFS, OTHER PLAYERS HAVING
OUTSTANDING POSTSEASON SO FAR,
DO YOU SENSE MOTIVATION TO STAY
ON TOP?
>> I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE
BOOK.
-- D. BOOK.
HE CONTINUES TO MAKE THE JUMP.
WHEN YOU WANT TO BE GREAT IN
THIS LEAGUE, AND AS KOBE TOLD
HIM, TO BE LEGENDARY IN THIS
GAME YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE NOT
ONLY YOUR GAME, BUT YOU AS A MAN
ON AND OFF THE FLOOR.
ALL THE CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD
OVER THE YEARS, I COULD TELL HE
SOAKED THEM UP AND HAS USED THEM
TO HIS ADVANTAGE.
EVERYONE SEES WHAT HE IS ABLE TO
DO ON THE FLOOR.
HIS MATURITY, HIM AS A YOUNG
MAN, IS WHAT I AM MOST IMPRESSED
ABOUT.
I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT BOOK.
THAT IS THE POST GAME
INTERACTION.
SECONDLY, I DON'T NEED
MOTIVATION FROM ANYBODY IN THIS
LEAGUE.
I MOTIVATE MYSELF.
I MOTIVATED BY MY KIDS, MY
FAMILY, THE LOVE OF THIS GAME.
THERE ARE SOME YOUNG GUNS IN
THIS GAME, BOOK, DONOVAN
MITCHELL, LUKA, JA MORANT, SO
MANY GUYS WHO ARE 22 AND UNDER,
23 AND UNDER WHO ARE FLAT-OUT
SPECIAL.
JAYSON TATUM.
LET ME NOT FORGET ABOUT HIM.
THOSE GUYS ARE GREAT AND THE
GAME IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN
GREAT HANDS WITH GUYS LIKE THAT.
MY MOTIVATION DOES NOT COME FROM
THAT.
IT COMES FROM MY FAMILY, MYSELF,
MY KIDS AT MY SCHOOL BACK HOME
THAT I GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SEE.
TODAY WAS THEIR LAST DAY OF
SCHOOL, THAT WAS MOTIVATING TO
ME.
THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I AM PAST THE MOTIVATION STAGE
OF THE YOUNGER GROUP.
>> BACK IN THE PANDEMIC, AS ONE
OF THE LEADERS OF THE GAME, HOW
DO YOU FEEL THE NBA HANDLED THE
WHOLE SITUATION?
>> THE ONE THING I'M HAPPY ABOUT
IS TO SEE FANS BACK IN OUR
BUILDING.
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING I'M
EXCITED ABOUT.
WE HAD A COUPLE INSTANCES OVER
THE LAST WEEK WITH FANS TAKING A
LITTLE BIT TOO EXTRA.
FANS BEING BACK IN THE BUILDING
IS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE.
YOU COMMEND THE LEAGUE, ADAM
SILVER, HIS CREW, ON FIGURING
OUT A WAY TO WITHSTAND THE
PANDEMIC, THE PLAYERS COMMITTED
TO IT.
IT HAS BEEN TOUGH ON ALL OF US
GETTING TESTED TWO OR THREE
TIMES A DAY, AT ALL TIMES
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, BUT GUYS ARE
HAPPY TO BE BACK ON THE FLOOR
DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF THE
GAME, FOR YOUR TEAMMATES, YOUR
FAMILY, AND ALSO JUST HAVING
FANS BACK IN THE BUILDING.
HOPEFULLY WE GOT THIS THING
UNDER WRAPS, BUT THE LEAGUE HAS
DONE A GREAT JOB WITH STANDING
-- HOPEFULLY WE KEEP IT GOING.
>> DO YOU THINK YOUR ANKLE --
[INAUDIBLE]
>> I THINK I'M GOING TO PLAY FOR
THE TUNE SQUAD THIS SUMMER.
TRYING TO BEAT THE GOON SQUAD.
DID NOT HAVE MUCH SUCCESS VERSUS
THE SUNS, SO I AM GEARING MY
ATTENTION TO THE GOON SQUAD IN
JULY.
I'M GOING TO LET THE ANKLE HEAL,
TEAM UP WITH LOLA, TAZ