LeBron James won't embrace 'Zero Dark Thirty-23' blackout amid pandemic
There will be no "Zero Dark Thirty-23" blackout from Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James this time around.
Previously, the three-time NBA champion embraced a technological blackout from social media and other outlets during postseason tournaments:
Like all other players, James is currently quarantined away from family members inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex bubble site for the NBA restart held amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Because of that, James told reporters on Tuesday that he is leaving his phones accessible:
"It's definitely going to have a different mindset and different feel to it. But I won't be turning my phones off during this run. I can't afford to. I have to continue to check in with my family every single day. Checking in with my mom. Making sure everything is still going well, especially in the uncertainty of what 2020 has brought to all of us. I can't afford to do that and just lose direct contact with everybody.
"But I'll be as locked in as I can be under the circumstances. I won't cheat my teammates, I won't cheat our fans and I won't cheat myself. I'll be ready to go."
James may have his phones when he and the Lakers begin the restart with a Thursday showdown versus same-city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers, but he could be without fellow star Anthony Davis by his side. Davis is day-to-day after he suffered a poke in the eye during a Saturday scrimmage versus the Orlando Magic.
The Lakers will update Davis' status on Wednesday.
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