The idea of a player-coach used to baffle JaVale McGee, but his experience playing alongside LeBron James gave him an epiphany on the rare designation.
The Phoenix Suns center was a guest on Shannon Sharpe's “Club Shay Shay,” along with his mother Pamela, where he shared how James made him realize what being a player-coach is all about.
“I used to hear things like Bill Russell was a player-coach one year, and I was like ‘how are you a player-coach? How is that a thing?’ But after going to the [Los Angeles Lakers], I understand how a player could be a player-coach. Because not only playing the game, when [LeBron James] plays the games, he’s thinking the game too and he’s low-key thinking for two other players also.”
One can't blame McGee for thinking that way, especially when the fact that player-coaches have been rare over the last few decades. The most notable among these multitaskers is Bill Russell, who won two championships as a playing coach for the Boston Celtics.
While James isn't a coach, technically, he's the best extension of Frank Vogel on the court for the Lakers. His basketball IQ is legendary. Stories of him calling opponents' plays are remarkable.
Playing with LeBron James saw McGee enjoy his best stint for a team in his career. In two seasons with the Lakers, the 7-footer averaged 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He topped it all with a championship in the 2019-20 season—the third of his career.
Now a member of the Suns, McGee will be playing with another cerebral superstar in Chris Paul.
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