LeBron James discusses his decision to start podcast with JJ Redick

The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James topic has become the lowest-hanging fruit for sports debate shows. Even on a late July day with few noteworthy sporting events to discuss, the shows would find a way to weave in an MJ-LeBron debate for the sake of it. 

Invariably, the debate would bring forth the same narratives filled with prejudices and dogged viewpoints — like clockwork.

James, for one, is trying to change his portrayal in the media by taking matters into his own hands. After his Lakers' 150-141 win over the Pacers on Sunday, James told Jovan Buha of The Athletic that he started the "Mind the Game" podcast with JJ Redick to try and act as a gatekeeper for the NBA media.

"I feel like we were losing the essence of the game of basketball, and the true meaning behind the game of basketball," James said. "And teaching our youth what the game of basketball truly means. 

"... I was getting very frustrated with the daily comparisons — like who's better between you and ... or how does this affect your legacy ... If this guy played in the '50s, would he be this ... or what if this guy in the '50s played in the 2000s ... it's not good for the youth."

The Lakers star feels the hypothetical debates make for good barbershop discourse but don't belong on national TV every day. He also explained why he chose Redick as his co-host. 

"I feel like our audience needed a different approach, and understand the true essence of the game the way I fell in love with the game. When you have a guy like JJ who has the same mindset about the game of basketball — very smart, fell in love with the game for all the right reasons."

James added that he and Redick had been speaking about the collaborative effort for "quite a while" and finally pulled the trigger when the latter felt the time was right.