Soccer star Kylian Mbappe has revealed that LeBron James offered him advice on how to ‘cement’ his legend by helping young people off the field.
Mbappe, a self-confessed NBA fan, sat courtside at the International Games in Paris last week.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar also recently worked with James on Nike campaign, with Mbappe relishing the chance to pick the brains of the four-time NBA champion.
‘He is much farther along in his career than I am, and projects outside of sport have cemented his place as a sporting legend,’ Mbappe told British GQ.
‘Being able to ask for advice from inspiring figures like him provides an opportunity to adjust my plan and create my own approach that is as effective as possible in terms of helping young people today.’
With team schedules getting increasingly busy in European football, Mbappe also said that the sport may soon mirror the NBA’s ‘load management’ practices.
The Frenchman, 25, played 63 games for PSG and the French national team during the 2022-23 season. He understands why his basketball counterparts try to balance their workloads through an 82-game season.
‘We’re getting closer to the NBA model, with seasons of 70 games,’ Mbappe said. ‘Personally, I’m not against playing that many matches, but we won’t be able to be good every time and give the public the spectacle they expect.
‘In the NBA, players don’t play every game and franchises practice load management. But if I said: “I’m tired, I’m not playing on Saturday,” it wouldn’t go down well.’