LeBron James and the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers played their final preseason game Tuesday night at Value City Arena. The Cavs open up their 2016-17 season in one week back in Cleveland.
Prior to the game in Columbus, however, James, an avid supporter of the Ohio State football and basketball programs, spent some time speaking with the Buckeyes’ basketball coaching staff.
Ohio State assistant coach Dave Dickerson said Wednesday the conversation the Buckeyes’ staff had with James was quite valuable and a lot was learned from the three-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP.
“Practice habits, being a thinker, being a good talker and being a team guy,” Dickerson said. “All those things, those basic things that you see and hear, when you get a chance to see it up close and personal and you get a chance to reiterate it to your team, it becomes an actual thing instead of being a myth.”
James has done this before as this is the third-straight year the Cavs held a preseason game in Columbus. His brand sponsors the Ohio State basketball team and he’s been on the sidelines for a handful of Buckeyes football games, as well.
He speaks frequently about his ties to Ohio State despite the fact James didn’t go to college. He helps out the program and the brand just by showing up, but the conversations he’s had with the coaching staffs and players on the football and basketball teams go a long way, according to Dickerson.
“LeBron is amazing,” Dickerson said. “... For us, you always want to quiz him and ask him different questions because when he speaks everyone listens. When we can relate that back to our team, that helps us be a better team.”
