Mind the Game – Season 3, Episode 1: "Broken Streaks, Broken Records and How The MVP Got Even Better"

Podcast: Mind the Game
Hosts: LeBron James & Steve Nash
Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode marks the start of Season 3 of Mind the Game, bringing together LeBron James and Steve Nash for a deep dive into the ever-evolving tactics, stories, and narratives that define basketball at the highest level. LeBron shares insights into coming back from injury, the end of his historic scoring streak, and his approach to breaking records. The conversation then shifts to the remarkable growth of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), “the MVP”, exploring his rapid evolution as a playmaker and efficiency as a scorer. Throughout, Nash and LeBron offer nuanced takes on preparation, the mental side of competition, and the chess match behind NBA greatness.

LeBron’s Return: Recovery, Rhythm & the Grind

Timestamps: 01:40 – 06:28

• LeBron’s Comeback:

  • Details the physical and mental ramp-up after returning from injury, with a focus on the difficulties of reestablishing rhythm and conditioning.
  • Travel was described as the hardest part: “You always are adapting back to that journey of time zones and travel… I don’t know that fans sometimes understand, like, we struggle with that sometimes.” — Steve Nash (03:58)
  • The duo share stories about disrupted sleep patterns and taxing East-West travel schedules, emphasizing their impact on performance.

• Fatigue and Travel Adjustments:

  • LeBron: “That very next day is like… you’re spending the next day and a half just trying to get back to normalcy.” (05:16)
  • Nash: “Legs are gone. When you tip off, you’re like, try to find yourself for like the first quarter.” (06:18)

The End of a Historic Streak

Timestamps: 06:28 – 13:34

• LeBron’s 1,297 Game, 10+ Point Scoring Streak:

  • Nash brings up the end of LeBron’s record streak: “That’s your floor basically is 10 points. That’s insane. Over almost 1,300 games.” (06:31)
  • LeBron reflects:
    • “I would be lying to say that I don’t know how many points I have at any given moment…but I never went into the game during the streak saying, okay, I have to get 10 points.” (07:07)
    • Describes the night the streak ended: missed shots, lack of rhythm, but made the winning play by passing to Rui Hachimura for the game-winning three instead of focusing on his own stats.

• Making the Right Play:

  • “It would be a disservice to me in the way I play the game…and it showed in how the streak ended, on how I’ve always played. It’s just, how can we win?” — LeBron (07:07)

• Close Calls and Longevity:

  • LeBron discusses playing through injury to keep the streak alive, notably recounting a high ankle sprain game in Atlanta: “Anytime I got…sprained my ankle or my leg rolled up on…let's tighten the shoes up a little bit tighter and get going.” (10:14)
  • Both reflect on the incredible durability required: “You never got—like in all those games, had to leave the game before you had 10 points.” — Steve Nash (11:36)

Becoming the All-Time Leading Scorer & Record Books

Timestamps: 13:34 – 23:27

• Passing Kareem & Reaction:

  • LeBron: “I never set out a goal to be the all-time lead scorer in NBA history…that is so many years of dominance and longevity.” (13:34)
  • The process from distant record to a real, nerve-wracking pursuit as the projections became real.

• The Scoring Milestone:

  • “To accomplish that feat while not trying to accomplish the feat, I think that’s even more surreal to me…that moment… Kareem holds the ball to me…bro, that was unbelievable.” — LeBron (16:08)

• Nash’s Assist Record Perspective:

  • Steve Nash humorously recounts his chase for 3rd place on the all-time assists list while his body broke down in his final season: “I feel bad for Mark [Jackson]. He got passed by a secondhand car that was about to blow up on the side of the freeway, by one.” (19:15)

• On Sharing Basketball History:

  • LeBron: “Your name just being in the same list…you have a key to the same house. You guys all dine in the same room…I just think that’s super cool.” (20:34)

• Records and Surprises:

  • LeBron laughs off his many “firsts,” citing teammates joking about the “first guy to tie his shoestrings 100 times in the game.” (20:44)
  • Surprised by passing Robert Parish for second-most career wins: “I had no idea that until after the game.” (21:26)

• Who Holds the Most Wins?

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (per Nash’s lookup): “So I guess that means you got to come back next year.” (23:03)
  • LeBron’s playful response: “Don’t do this. I’m not going for that record.” (23:17)

The Rise of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA): Efficiency and Evolution

Timestamps: 26:11 – 38:56

• SGA’s Streak, Efficiency, and Leap:

  • Nash notes SGA’s streak of consecutive 20-point games is approaching 100: “Think about Shea, you think about incredible in isolation, the mid range…three point percentage has gone up like seven, eight points. He’s up to 44% on five threes a game.” (27:09, 28:01)
  • LeBron admires SGA’s improvement: “Doing it very efficiently too. Shooting at a high clip…his mid range is even higher than last year.” (26:50)

• Elite Turnover and Playmaking Numbers:

  • “The lowest turnover rate of a player averaging 30 points for a season of all time.” — Steve Nash (28:01)
  • LeBron: “That’s almost perfect basketball right there.” (29:08)

• Motivation After a Championship:

  • Nash: “Some people could get complacent. People could feel pressure to do it again. Or, as it feels with Shay, a little bit inspired by it and ready and like, came back better…” (29:57)
  • LeBron: “What he sense to me is that Shai wants to be legendary…he wants to set a mark not only for OKC, but also for his country and for Canada, for his people, for his family.” (30:31)

• Elevating as a Playmaker:

  • Nash on SGA’s expanded playmaking: “Prioritizing his playmaking… over seven assists a game. More pick and rolls, the rating in pick and rolls has gone up from like 113 to 121, like a big jump.” (32:22)
  • LeBron: “He’s always going to be able to get his [points]…What can also make him a better player is making sure those other guys be in rhythm too.” (33:14)

Defending SGA & The Art of Drawing Fouls

Timestamps: 34:24 – 38:59

• Game Plan vs. SGA:

  • LeBron on containing him: “You got to keep him off the free throw line, which is hard…he knows how to manipulate the game in a good way.” (34:36)
  • Compared to James Harden: “It’s the James Harden — how James was when James was dominant in Houston.” (34:36)
  • Emphasizes the importance of discipline when defending him and OKC’s weapons.

• On NBA’s “Game Within the Rules”:

  • LeBron: “It’s not a crime. It’s not the player’s fault on being able to master the rule book.” (37:38)
  • Nash: “There’s a math element, right? How do you win, score more points, and in what fashion?” (36:50)
  • Both praise SGA, Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey for their ability to draw fouls as an art form.

• Controversy and the “Marginal Contact” Foul Draw:

  • Nash: “The one that I think we need to be careful of…is when they close the gap…that’s the one that I think we gotta make sure there’s enough contact there.” (39:38)
  • Both agree letting minor contacts slide would help game flow: “Try…if you’re an offensive player, but I think that’s the one the game could do with, making sure there’s enough contact.” — Nash (41:01)

SGA Film Session: Playmaking Evolution

Timestamps: 41:26 – 50:34

• Simple Early Passes:

  • Nash: “Sometimes the most gratifying one is the simple early pass just to tell the defense you can’t play me like this.” (42:26)

• High-Level Reads vs. Elite Defenses:

  • Dissecting SGA’s nuanced reads against Draymond Green and the Warriors, timely passes that manipulate the help defenders.
  • LeBron: “It’s a simple play, but not a simple pass…against Draymond, who’s seen every playmaker.” (44:55)

• Cat-and-Mouse Manipulation:

  • Nash: “Once you make a couple of those plays, it gives you leeway to try other things later.” (43:27)
  • SGA’s developing ability to throw off defenders with hang dribbles and left-handed passes; “That was big time. That’s a big time pass right there.” — LeBron (49:39)

• Empowering Teammates:

  • The importance of getting others involved: “Make them insecure…once those other guys are feeling in a rhythm, they know the ball is going to come to them, it gives [Shai] the one-on-one opportunities.” — LeBron (33:14)

Fan Q&A: Advice for Undersized Players

Timestamps: 52:59 – 55:39

• Question: “What individual skill should I prioritize working on in practice as the shortest guy on the court?” (from SlimBrady44 on X)

• Nash’s Advice:

  • “When you’re an undersized player, you have to be a combination of things…start with ball handling and shooting…you have to be tough-minded, relentless, dive on the floor, take charges.” (53:21)

• LeBron’s Addition:

  • “How well is your conditioning?…If you’re the best-conditioned guy out there, that’s one thing that height and weight can’t take away.” (54:23)

• Summary:

  • “There’s plenty…for you to do if you control the controllables. Be the best ball handler, shooter, best conditioned, most resilient, great teammate.” — Nash (55:02)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It would be a disservice to me in the way I play the game… It showed in how the streak ended… It’s just, how can we win?” — LeBron James (07:07)
• “[SGA] wants to be legendary. He wants to be known in this game for a long time, well after he’s done.” — LeBron James (30:31)
• “It’s not a crime. It’s not the player's fault on being able to master the rule book." — LeBron James (37:38)
• “Sometimes the most gratifying pass is the simple early pass just to tell the defense, 'you can’t play me like this.'” — Steve Nash (42:26)

Key Takeaways

• Longevity & Adaptation:
  LeBron’s durability is as much mental as physical. Both he and Nash illuminate the very human struggle professional athletes face with travel, routine disruption, and returning from injury.

• Streaks & Records:
  Records come and go, but both hosts return to the idea of “making the right play” and the humility of being part of basketball history.

• SGA’s Evolution:
  Gilgeous-Alexander’s leap into MVP territory is fueled not just by scoring but by efficiency, playmaking, and relentless improvement—a model of modern guard impact.

• Basketball Nuance:
  From drawing fouls to manipulating defenses, the episode is a masterclass in appreciating the strategic subtleties that separate good from great.

• Growth Mindset:
  Whether it’s LeBron, Nash, or SGA, greatness is rooted in continuing to learn, adapt, and empower those around you—on and off the court.

For basketball lovers, this episode is filled with wisdom, anecdotes, and tactical discussion, making it a must-listen for anyone hoping to go beyond box scores and appreciate the intricate beauty of the game.