Monday, June 9, 2014

LeBron James credits yoga class for helping alleviate cramping issues in Game 2

After debilitating leg cramps took LeBron James out of action during the final minutes of Game 1, both James and the Heat were more proactive in readying his body for the rigors of Game 2. That included, among a more extensive hydration regimen, James’ decision to attend a Sunday morning yoga class at the Heat’s team hotel in San Antonio. I imagine there was some surprise among the casual yogis who entered the makeshift studio to find James — a 6-8, 250-pound behemoth — knocking out a firefly pose as a warmup.
“One thing I did do differently this morning, I took an 8 a.m. yoga class at our resort that we stayed at outside,” James explained after Game 2. “Me, and three other people and also a little kid but he didn’t want no parts of it.  So that’s probably the only thing that I did differently today.”

This is far from a one-time occurrence for James, who has been active in the discipline since his days in Cleveland.
“Yoga isn't just about the body, it’s also about the mind and it’s a technique that has really helped me,” James told Brian Windhorst (then of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer) in 2009. “You do have to focus because there’s some positions that can really hurt you at times if you aren't focused and breathing right.”
Upon his arrival in Miami, James also credited yoga for his supernatural level of endurance. Only Kevin Durant has logged more total minutes since James joined the Heat in 2011.
“I do Pilates and yoga, just try to stay above the curve to get to this point,” James said in 2011, per the Miami Herald. “So, I mean, I feel like it’s helping me. Does it work for everybody? I don’t know. I’m not a guru about how to be in the best condition, don’t let me sit here and tell you that. But it works for me.”
James is hardly the only Finals-relevant player to dabble in yoga as a means of physical maintenance. Dwyane Wade added it to his game preparation, in part to loosen his hips. The Spurs have also coordinated yoga sessions as a team for years, and may have a leg up on their Finals 

By ROB MAHONEY

Rafik Dimian

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