LeBron James: Meditation keeping him ‘sane’ in NBA bubble

NBA players are presumably now fully acclimated to the unprecedented bubble environment at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Certainly helping increase player comfort is how some family members are now allowed to join them. One player not taking advantage of that option is LeBron James.

The Los Angeles Lakers recently opened up about how he is maintaining his bearings and keeping his focus despite spending his down time in relative isolation away from his wife and children.

“Family always comes first. Having that in your life, you have to put yourself in the position of what centers you,” LeBron James said, per Mark Media of USA TODAY Sports. “Meditating helps a lot for me personally with taking a lot of deep breaths, closing my eyes and just centering myself and listening to my inner self and talking to my kids and my mom. That definitely is something that keeps me sane in the bubble.”

James has long touted the benefits of remaining mentally fit to ensure peak on-court performance, so his reliance on meditation in the bubble makes perfect sense.

As far as James not welcoming his children into the bubble, the superstar recently explained his decision by saying, “There’s nothing for them to do.”

It merits noting that James made some provocative comments ahead of traveling to Orlando in which he likened his situation to how one must feel heading to prison, a questionable comparison at best that was met with some derision on social media. It stands to reason the bubble continues to not be one of his favorite places in the world.

All that said, James is expected to continue going it alone as long as the Lakers remain in the postseason, although he does have the option of changing his mind at any point.

If not, James will rely on his honed habits of keeping himself centered, which includes getting enough rest at night, not to mention the aforementioned meditation practices. It should also go without saying that James could fend off homesickness by enjoying a traditional Taco Tuesday feast from time to time as well.