Remember

Credits to Jeff Benedict’s amazing biography on LeBron James

In 2010, LeBron James received widespread backlash for The Decision, his controversial public announcement that he was taking his talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat. Overnight, he became public enemy number one.

The negativity carried over to the 2011 NBA Finals, where he failed to win the championship against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Everyone wanted to see him fail. Rival NBA players, the media, the fans. Everyone. And that’s exactly what happened. It was a public humiliation. The scrutiny was almost too much for one man to take. LeBron hit rock bottom.

LeBron didn’t have anyone to turn to for guidance. He wasn’t close to MJ or Kobe. And no one else in the NBA can relate to what he was going through. So he turned to his friend Jay-Z. Here’s what Jay-Z said to him:

During the Summer of 2011, Jay-Z reminded LeBron how much he loved basketball, and that basketball saved him everyday. The key word that Jay Z emphasized to his friend was remember. 

Remember where you came from. 

Remember what got you to this point in your life. 

Remember why you love the game. 

Whenever you’re feeling down. Whenever you hit rock bottom. It’s important to remember what got you here in the first place.