The Miami Heat player celebrated with his teammates in New Orleans during All Star Weekend. But while we were previously granted only a quick glimpse at the cover image, we’re finally getting a look at the whole feature.
For their March issue, GQ’s Jeanne Marie Laskas caught up with James to hear how he feels about winning, change, fatherhood, his responsibility on and off the court, and what he has his sights set on to conquer next.
Check out some excerpts from the interview below.
On his career ambitions:
“Some days I want to be a singer. But my voice? Then the next day I want to be Picasso.” He would like to be a billionaire. “If it happens. It’s my biggest milestone. Obviously. I want to maximize my business. And if I happen to get it, if I happen to be a billion-dollar athlete, ho. Hip hip hooray! Oh, my God, I’m gonna be excited.”
On his instincts on the court:
“Like, I could average thirty-five points a game if I really wanted to, But then—it wouldn’t be me,” he says. “So I don’t know if I could do it, because of my instincts. I see a teammate open—even if I have a great shot—I see a teammate open for a better shot, I gotta feed him. It’s like, my mind sometimes be like ‘Shoot it,’ but then—my instincts, you know?”
On fatherhood’s relation to sports:
“Being a leader of my household, a leader of Miami, a leader of Team USA. It’s the same exact thing. You can sense when a guy is frustrated—maybe doesn’t feel involved enough in the offense. As leader you go over to him, you know, ‘How can I help?’ Because at the end of the day, we all have one common goal—and that’s to be great.”
On his reaction to the phrase, “You’ve changed:”
“As an African-American, we hear it a lot where we grow up. You’ve changed.” He’s sick of hearing it used as a criticism. “Because you’ve tried to better yourself and because you’ve made it out. ‘You’re not the same person that we used to know.’ Of course I’m not. I’m trying to better myself. Change is not a bad thing. Thinking that it’s bad, you know, that’s one thing I think is a downfall for African-Americans for sure.”
On his decision to play for Miami:
“The best thing that ever happened to me,” he says. “I needed it. It helped me grow as a man. As a professional, as a father. At the time, as a boyfriend. It helped me grow. Being confined, I spent my whole life in Akron, Ohio. For twenty-five years. Even though I played professionally in Cleveland, I still lived in Akron. Everything was comfortable. I knew everything, everybody knew me—everything was comfortable. I needed to become uncomfortable.
Now I’ve seen everything on and off the floor this league has to offer,” he says. “I got an answer for everything. Winning, losing, being a free agent, staying, leaving, media, media down on you, media big up on you, agents, money, parking it, family, money. All, everything. So whatever your question is, I can deliver.”
