Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is often willing to speak his mind, but rarely sits down for an extended interview on all-things NBA. James did just that Wednesday, addressing a number of topics during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

During the hour-long sit down, James discussed his relationship with Michael Jordan, thoughts on ESPN journalist Brian Windhorst, the trade that brought Luka Dončić to the Lakers and James’ feud with Stephen A. Smith.

James’ affinity for Jordan is obvious at this point. The Lakers star originally wore No. 23 as a tribute to the Chicago Bulls legend. While James still has immense respect for Jordan, the pair don’t talk much these days.

The Lakers star thinks that will change when he retires from the NBA.

(Warning: The videos below contain NSFW language.)

James cited Jordan’s intense competitive spirit as a reason the two don’t talk much now.

“We all know MJ. Even if you don’t know him personally, he’s one of the most ruthless competitors there is. And until I’m done, and he doesn’t have to look at me run up and down wearing the No. 23, and every time my name is mentioned, it’s mentioned with his, he’s like, ‘I don’t want to f***ing talk to you.'”

James never implied the pair had a bad relationship, still referring to Jordan as an inspiration.

LeBron James talks Stephen A. Smith feud

James also took a moment to discuss his feud with ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith. A verbal confrontation between James and Smith occurred on the court before the Lakers took on the New York Knicks on March 6. 

The following day, Smith revealed the nature of that chat, saying James was upset about the way Smith talked about his son, Bronny James.

LeBron spoke on that feud Wednesday. After saying Smith was “on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” James said Smith missed the entire point of their conversation. 

James also joked about how excited Smith would be when he hears James talked about their feud on television.

Given Smith’s persona, it’s likely his “Taylor Swift tour run” will continue following James’ comments Wednesday.

LeBron James discusses ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst

The Lakers’ star also took aim at another ESPN personality. James mocked reporter Brian Windhorst, saying, “This guy says he’s my best f***ing friend. These guys are just weird.”

Windhorst and James attended the same high school, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, though not at the same time. Windhorst has covered James since the basketball star attended high school. The ESPN reporter has broken plenty of stories about James over their careers.

LeBron James speaks on Luka Dončić trade

Regarding the Dončić trade, James said that while he couldn’t put himself in Dončić’s shoes, the trade must have been a shock to his system. James also reiterated that Dončić needs to be himself for the Lakers to unlock their full potential.

Los Angeles has gone 12-9 since Dončić joined the team.

LeBron James takes shot at old NBA players who doubt his game

James also took a moment to call out older NBA players who claim James wouldn’t excel in previous NBA eras. James brushed off those comments, saying, “C’mon, I would be able to play in any era.”

Given James’ longevity, accolades and the fact that he holds the record for most career points, it’s safe to say his game would translate to any era.

Summary: Toohey is a jack-of-all-trades Australian forward who grinds on defense and loves to dish the ball around. But his scoring comes and goes with his streaky jumper since he’s not someone who generates many of his own shots.

Comparisons: Georges Niang, Solomon Hill

Strengths

Defensive versatility: Toohey is a hard-working defender who stays locked in and makes positive plays all over the floor. He isn’t overly quick laterally but fights hard to stay in position of quicker players, and he has the strength to battle anyone.

Transition offense: As a big wing who’s active on the boards, he loves to push the pace on the break. He doesn’t have a lot of wiggle as a ball-handler, but has control in the open floor and good passing instincts.

Playmaking: Toohey is a selfless passer who always looks for his teammates. He executes plays at a high level and has a great basketball IQ. If his jumper develops, he could have even more value as a connective piece on the perimeter. This is because he already has skill as a slasher and cutter, so a jumper threat would make defenders need to respect him more and open more drives.

Concerns

Shooting: Toohey is a low-volume 3-point shooter who made only 28% of his 2.6 attempts per game in two overseas seasons. He has a smooth form, but shots don’t fall from the field or from the line, where he made only 70.7% of attempts.

Midrange scoring: He hasn’t shown an ability to drain pull-up jumpers, whether he’s driving in from the perimeter or operating with his back to the basket. Per Synergy, he made just two of his 16 post-ups. He lacks both a great first step and a tight handle in the half court.

Summary: Traoré oozes upside with his size, blazing speed, and shiftiness off the bounce. But he’s an inefficient scorer all over the floor who needs to improve his erratic decision-making to prove he’s worth the big swing.

Comparisons: Dejounte Murray, Scoot Henderson

Strengths

Speed: He’s the fastest player in this draft class with acceleration like a Bugatti. He’s able to go coast-to-coast with a flash, and with NBA spacing he could thrive getting downhill in the pick-and-roll to draw defenses and activate his playmaking.

Shot creation: Traoré isn’t just a speed demon. He keeps the ball on a string with crossovers, hesitations, and improvisation. If he’s able to develop a knockdown jumper, he could be tough to stop because of his ways to create separation. For now, he’s at his best when he’s attacking the basket to score acrobatically.

Playmaking: He makes some beautiful passes, driving into the paint then casually flipping a bullseye to the corner, or splitting a pick-and-roll, drawing a help defender, and then kicking it out to a shooter on the wing. He clearly knows how to use his speed to manipulate defenders. And if he can cut down on some of his careless turnovers, there’s some serious playmaking potential within.

Shooting upside: He’s making 75.6% of his free throws in his professional career overseas. Even though it hasn’t translated to consistent success in other areas on the floor, it’s at least a sign that there’s something there.

Concerns

Decision-making: He gets blinders on when he drives to the rim and ends up forcing away too many tough shot attempts.

Shooting consistency: He goes through stretches where he gets hot, then others where he barely skims the rim. His mechanics don’t seem to be an issue. But per Synergy, he’s making only 30.6% of catch-and-shoot 3s, 22.6% of dribble-jumper 3s, and 28.6% of dribble-jumper 2s. He also takes a ton of floaters and makes only 33.3% of those.

Defense: He lacks focus, intensity, awareness, strength. Basically anything that a coach would look for. He has a lot of learning to do to take advantage of his athletic gifts.

Summary: Beringer began playing basketball only three years ago, which makes him a raw project, but also makes his natural talents all the more impressive. He’s a center but has the quickness of a guard, giving him immense defensive versatility to build on for years to come.

Comparisons: Clint Capela, Nerlens Noel

Strengths

Defensive versatility: Beringer has the long arms and agility to play in a switch-heavy scheme. He moves so quickly laterally even against quicker players. And he can do typical big-man things, playing in drop coverage or offering help with his bouncy rim protection and handsy defense in the passing lanes.

Rim finishing: He’s a power player who sets hard screens then can dunk over the defense, making him a constant lob threat who runs the floor hard on the break, too. He also has good hands to catch touch passes. And if he receives the ball on the roll or must handle in transition, his fluidity translates to offense with the way he can euro-step or decelerate to set himself to score with touch.

Concerns

Frame: He’s still extremely thin, so he needs time to add more muscle to better battle NBA-sized bigs, whether it’s finishing contested layups, or when on the boards and in the post. And he must do so without sacrificing his best talents with his fluidity and quickness.

Turnovers: He is ineffective scoring from the post and has a loose handle, leaving him prone to getting stripped. He also makes inaccurate passes.

Shooting: He’s currently a nonthreat to shoot and a borderline hackable free-throw shooter.

Defensive fundamentals: Sometimes he finds himself out of position, especially when defending pick-and-rolls or when closing out to shooters. Overall, his pure athleticism can make up for mistakes, but NBA offenses will be less forgiving.

LeBron James and JJ Redick surprised the NBA world when they announced the “Mind the Game” podcast last March. The show offered rare insight from James on the nuances of the modern NBA and smart analysis by Redick, who was quickly emerging as one of the more insightful broadcasters. 

A few months later, Redick got hired by the Los Angeles Lakers to coach James and the whole podcasting thing fell apart. 

But fear not, NBA fans, the “Mind the Game” podcast is coming back. James announced the return of the podcast in a teaser on YouTube and X on Wednesday. Redick, who is too busy coaching the Lakers, will not reprise his role as co-host. That chair will now be filled by former Brooklyn Nets coach and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash.

Based on the teaser, James and Nash have already recorded at least one episode. The first episode of the new “Mind the Game” podcast will be released April 1. 

JJ Redick replaced by Steve Nash on LeBron James’ podcast

Replacing Redick with Nash makes a lot of sense. Given his current coaching duties, Redick could no longer be a candidate to host a podcast with James. Redick is presumably too busy coaching to take on a podcast, but doing a podcast with one of his players might have given away too much about the Lakers’ approach and strategy.

As a player, Nash was considered a cerebral floor general. He was an eight-time All-Star, made the All-NBA team seven times and won the MVP award in two consecutive seasons. Nash was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2018. Nash spent time with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Lakers during his 18-year career.

After his playing career ended, Nash went into coaching and consulting. He was eventually named the Nets head coach ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season. Nash led the team — which featured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — to a 94-67 record in just over two seasons. Nash and the Nets parted ways seven games into the 2022-23 season.

Nash stayed out of the NBA limelight since then, though the “Mind the Game” podcast will change that. Given that the podcast led to Redick’s eventual hiring, Nash could view his new role as a stepping stone to get back into coaching. 

Summary: Fland boogies around the floor with shifty handles, pick-and-roll poise, and shot-making upside. Whether he sticks in the NBA could hinge on whether he improves as a paint finisher while also mastering his jumper off the dribble.

Comparisons: Kemba Walker, Cole Anthony

Strengths

Shot creation: He’s fast, he’s shifty, he’s explosive. He plays with pace, feel, and fluidity. He gets basically wherever he wants on the floor blending all these skills together, especially when he’s racing down the open floor or operating in the pick-and-roll.

Shooting versatility: Fland made 47.6% of his catch-and-shoot 3s as a freshman with a large chunk of them coming off of movement. He doesn’t shoot as well off the dribble, making just 25% of them, per Synergy. But he’s a high touch player from the line and on floaters. He may just need time to extend his range to be lethal shooting no matter the situation.

Playmaking: He has such great feel navigating ball screens and locating the open man.

Defense: Fland is a pest on defense. Even though he’s smaller, he can apply ball pressure thanks to his quick feet and disrupt actions with his quick hands.

Concerns

Size: He’s small. Teams are going to attack him on defense at the next level.

At-rim finishing: Fland made only 29.7% of his shots at the rim in the half court this season, per Synergy. It’s an abysmal number that reflects his below-the-rim athleticism.

Shot selection: In part because he’s so limited at the rim, he’s forced to take a ton of tough perimeter shots which leads to streaky stretches.