Doctor Explains Part of NBA Bubble That Will Be ‘Really Hard’ for Lakers’ LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers and other basketball teams will finish the season in an NBA bubble, and this may not work for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. Dr. Stephen Gonzales is an executive board member for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. He deals with the psychological aspect of the game.

According to Dr. Gonzales, the Lakers forward will have a hard time coping with the lack of fans. He discussed the mental health aspects related to the resumption of the regular season. Players will have to play games without their fans, and playing without any reaction is hard.

LeBron James will work well in the NBA bubble

LeBron has been interacting with fans in each and every game he played. This motivates him to do even better. Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard doesn’t need crowds. The same applies to many other high-profile players.

“LeBron appreciates the relationship he has with fans,’’ Dr. Gonzalez told the New York Post. “Not having the other end of the relationship present is going to be a really hard thing for him. However, Tim Duncan, you can’t tell if Tim is having a good day or bad day. He’s just stoic. There’s a couple of players like that now in how they present their emotions like Kawhi.’’

Gonzales has advice for LeBron and players like him. They will have to play under specific circumstances.

“If I was working with any NBA player, one of the things we’d talk about is what effect does crowd have on you positively or negatively,’’ the doctor explained. “And without the crowd there, how are we going to plan getting those same emotions, same level of adrenaline. Maybe using visualization and getting yourself as many simulated reps, shooting in an empty gym, getting a sense of that quiet and stillness, and embracing it. It’s a factor. They’re going to need to find a way to adapt and adjust.”

LeBron and Kawhi will soon hit the floor. How will they handle the new situation? Let’s wait and find out. It will be interesting to see players win games in empty arenas. They aren’t used to that.