Norman Powell once explained how LeBron James would not only dominate opponents but also understand their plays so well he could even predict their moves

When Norman Powell Described LeBron James Outsmarting Raptors by Calling Their Plays

Last year on Paul George’s Podcast P, the current L.A. Clippers player Norman Powell shared that LeBron James understood his competitors so well that he could predict their actions before they occurred. He also talked about the experience of playing against LeBron, known as The King, in the peak times of the playoffs.

Norman Powell’s comments were spot-on, as LeBron James had dominated the Eastern Conference for about ten years, reaching the Finals eight times consecutively from 2011 to 2018 with the Heat and the Cavaliers.

The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors were two of the teams James often defeated on his way to those Finals in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

When LeBron James Schooled Norman Powell

On Paul George’s Podcast P, Powell, who was with the Raptors for eight years, mentioned that James had an answer for every strategy they tried to use against him.

Norman Powell recalled his games against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers and mentioned, “LeBron consistently outplayed us every year. My first year was the most competitive series we had against them. We pushed them to game 6. After that, it felt like no matter what we tried, he always had a response.”

He was amazed by LeBron’s understanding of the game and said, “This guy’s thinking is on another level. He knows what we are planning, he knows what his team is planning, and he even calls adjustments for his team to counter our defensive plans…” Powell continued, “…It was during those times that we realized we might as well concede,”

LeBron James also once helped Norman Powell. The four-time NBA Finals MVP was so attuned to the game that he even stopped Powell from getting a technical foul for the Raptors.

Powell was heading to the bench, mistakenly thinking he was being substituted. LeBron, playing for the Lakers, grabbed him by his jersey from the back, stopping the other team from potentially benefiting from a mistake.

Just before Game 3, Powell expressed his belief that James was showing a lack of respect to the Raptors by nonchalantly spinning the ball in front of Serge Ibaka’s face before making a three-pointer in Game 2.

“That shouldn’t have happened. We shouldn’t allow such things in the series,” he declared during a practice on Friday. “It ends tonight.”

However, in Game 3, LeBron proceeded to make left-handed shots, pulled Powell’s jersey, and scored 35 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and gave seven assists. After the game, he was seen chatting with the Raptors’ global ambassador Drake, telling him he’d treat him to margaritas.

David Griffin once overheard LeBron James coaching the Raptors

The former Cavaliers general manager, David Griffin, remembers hearing LeBron guide the Raptors during a game last season on how to correctly perform one of their plays.

LeBron is well-known for his deep understanding of what each of his teammates should do in every play, and his basketball brilliance also seems to extend to mastering the strategies of the opposing teams.

As reported by the Ringer, Griffin recalled, “I was at the gym watching him on the court against Toronto, directing Patrick Patterson to his position in a play called during a timeout in the last quarter.”

He added, “He was like ‘no Pat, you need to go there and set a screen for DeMar (DeRozan) over here.’”