"I was like, bro, I gotta apologize to you man ... I was clowning you" - Phil Handy recalls LeBron James' insane work ethic in the playoff period during his 2nd stint with Cavs
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James has been known throughout his career to take it up a notch during the postseason. While he still plays at an MVP-caliber level during the regular season, King James hits another stratosphere in the playoffs.
During "No Chill with Gilbert Arenas," LA Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy said King James turned it up a notch for the postseason. Handy said that he was shocked to see James' level in the regular season but understood the reasons behind during the playoffs.
"My second year coaching in Cleveland, so I didn't know Bron. He came back to Cleveland and we went through the regular season, and I remember as a coach, I was like, 'man this dude don't play hard all the time.'
"I was saying that to myself, and you know this was, like, year 14 for Bron. Something like that. We went through the regular season. I eventually told him, you know, later, I was just, like, nah, that's not it. This is what I was saying to myself
"The playoffs started, so, I had never been around Bron in the playoffs. The playoffs started, man, that zero dark 23 s***. This is a true story for me, bruh. After game three in the playoffs, I went to him and apologized I was, like, bro, I gotta apologize to you, man, because I was just, like, I was clowning you during the regular season
"And he was like, PH, and he said, 'I've been in the league for a long time man. This is how I wrap myself up. I have to go through the regular season and make sure when the playoffs hit, I'm optimal. I'm ready to go at the apex.' Bro, that level, that gear that he went through, I was just I was blown away," Phil Handy said.
Phil Handy and LeBron James were part of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization in 2016. The Cavs completed an improbable comeback against the Golden State Warriors in that year's NBA Finals. Handy is currently part of the Lakers coaching staff. He joined the Lakers in 2019 after helping the Toronto Raptors win the championship the same year.
LeBron James' Zero Dark Thirty-23
LeBron James derived the phrase Zero Dark Thirty-23 from the Hollywood film "Zero Dark Thirty." The film captures the scenes and the workings behind the United States intelligence services hunting down the most wanted man on the planet.
King James used this moniker during the 2012-13 season with the Miami Heat. The NBA Playoffs commenced a month after the movie released. To simplify things, James goes completely dark on social media throughout the postseason.
Zero Dark Thirty-23 Activated!! #StriveForGreatness🚀 https://t.co/HE6VWEaWB8
LeBron James usually signals when he goes off social media with a post. They came every year from 2013 until the 2020 bubble in Orlando. That year, he wanted to stay in touch with his family. The four-time Finals MVP even included a Martin Luther King Jr. quote in a post ahead of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
James has had incredible success using this tactic. He made six straight trips to the NBA Finals, winning two championships with the Miami Heat and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This moniker from LeBron James gained so much notoriety that Nike introduced a shoe named "LeBron 18 Low Zero Dark 23." It is an all-black shoe with a mixture of glossy and matte finish to it.