Connecting the relentless dedication of professional sports with the craft of digital creation, UNINTERRUPTED hosted an insightful conversation between NBA legend LeBron James and tech creator Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) for "THE MAIN THING." This dialogue, created in partnership with Indeed, shared the foundational belief that "everyone's skills deserve an audience". Marques Brownlee detailed the organic evolution of his career, which began 15 years ago as a hobby. Always "into tech" and "pretty particular" about what he liked, he decided, "let me make a video" after watching many others. The process started as "a fun thing that I thought I could do" and quickly led to the making of a second video, cultivating a "small community" that grew from five people to 12, then to 30. Brownlee realized he was "satisfying a need" for his audience, who often suggested topics. His goal, however, never changed: "to make stuff that I would want to watch".
Brownlee presented LeBron James with an analogy he has used for years, stating that being a video creator is "a lot like being a professional athlete". Both careers are jobs that "a lot of people want but it's very difficult to actually get to the level where you can do it" professionally, requiring extensive dedication, luck, and "a lot of skills development". Brownlee argued that if you can make videos as a hobby for 10 years and "never make a dime," you will probably be good at it as a job because you did it out of love. LeBron James fully agreed, noting that even two decades into his professional career, he "still will go out and play for free... because I love it". He still trains in the summertime "for the love of it" more than the compensation.
Brownlee identified his "superpower" as the "ability to break down complex topics or information about a thing and distill it to anyone to be able to digest that". As his audience grew, he had to learn to speak to both his established community and the newcomers "with the same words". This involved backing off the "technical jargon" to find a balancing point, ensuring the video could be appreciated by those "in the thick of it" and those who are "brand new" to tech videos. He lamented that viewers often see a five-minute video and assume it only took five minutes to make, neglecting the extensive "writing and research" conducted behind the scenes.
Related article - Uphorial Shopify
LeBron James detailed how technology has enhanced his performance and preparation. He recalled the evolution of music players, starting with the cassette tape Walkman (where you had to take out the tape to flip it for side B), moving to CDs (where movement caused skipping), and finally the iPods, which have been "huge in my career for sure". He uses music to find rhythm for basketball, describing the sport as "literally like R&B". Depending on the magnitude of the game or the city (such as listening to all Jay-Z, Biggie, Wu Tang, and Nas when going into New York), the music helps set the appropriate mood.
For physical performance and recovery, LeBron James noted that technology is "ramping up". He uses gear like the Versa Climber for performance and recovery tech such as Normatec boots (leg pumps), emphasizing the focus on "how fast you could recover to the next day". On maintaining balance, LeBron James stressed the importance of "keeping the main thing the main thing". He understood that nothing else would "blossom unless I take care of my craft first". While he knew he wanted to do things outside of basketball, that ambition "never leaped" his family and career, allowing outside opportunities to "blossom with the right timing". Brownlee concurred, asserting that if you "continue to focus on the craft organically," the things that make the most sense "slot right into place like puzzle pieces" and flow.
The conversation concluded with an analysis of video game evolution, specifically Madden. LeBron James recalled playing early Nintendo games like Double Dribble, Contra, Super Mario Bros., and Zelda. Brownlee noted that games today, like 2K, aim for "a little bit more realism" with sharper graphics and fluid moves, using motion tracking of "actual people" to incorporate real-life movements. LeBron James admitted that sometimes these realistic sports games feel unrealistic, recounting times when his character misses a wide-open layup or when his character of Steph Curry misses a wide-open three, even though in real life, a feeling dictates that the shot should go in. Brownlee speculated that the future of gaming might even involve VR, with Madden 44 looking like a VR game where users get on the field and make moves with their actual bodies.
