LeBron James: European Youth Basketball Training Focuses on Skills and Game Reading, While American

James and Dončić delved into the differences between European and American youth basketball development:

"Real Madrid was unique, but this applies across Europe. We didn’t play five games a week—maybe one or two on weekends max. Most days were about training, which I loved. We started with 30-45 minutes of technical drills: footwork, passing, shooting. Then we played small-sided games: 4-on-3, 3-on-2, 2-on-3. You had to read the game and react. In Europe, the focus is learning to see the game."

"That’s the core difference: Europe emphasizes skills and fundamentals, while America pushes kids to play more games. Many here never develop proper technique—they just compete. As Luka said, they practice 'advantage basketball' in Europe: 4-on-3 situations teach you to exploit numbers. Here, kids facing a double-team try to score alone instead of reading the defense. That mindset prevents them from understanding the game. You can get through high school, college, even the NBA like that—but to be elite, to elevate teammates and inspire, you need that European foundation. It’s a lost art in the US."

"At 15, my coach was strict with everyone—starters and backups. I started training with the senior team then. In Europe, especially at Real Madrid, it’s not just about individual growth; it’s about building the whole team."