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LeBron James: 'F--k No' NBA Coach, Exec Has Ever Approached Me About Shot Selection

Tyler Conway

LeBron James has seen the way NBA shot selection has changed and adapted alongside it.

That said, he's never had any coach or front office member approach him about altering his shot selection.

"Man, f--k no. ... I've always been a very efficient basketball player," James said on his Mind the Game podcast with JJ Redick (15:50 mark). "I'm not a guy to go out and cast a bunch of shots. I try to get — every possession, you can't always get the best shot — but I've always tried to figure out ways on the floor that, on that possession maybe, get the best shot."

James shot a career-high 41.0 percent from three-point range this season and is a career 50.6 percent shooter overall. His efficiency peaked during his last two years in Miami, but he's topped the 50 percent mark in 13 of his last 15 seasons.

James' rookie season saw 18 players attempt at least five threes per game. By contrast, 73 players attempted at least five threes per game in 2023-24. That is a direct result of the analytics movement across the NBA, which has emphasized shots at the rim and threes due to their overall efficiency.

Still, players of James' caliber are often exceptions to the rule. While coaches and analytics departments can approach role players and dictate the shots they take, doing the same with stars would not go over as well.

Given James' overall commitment to team basketball as well—something that's been prevalent his entire career—odds are it was never a conversation even worth having.

   

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