LeBron James breaks down NBA offense evolution and the end of “iso-ball”

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is widely regarded as the biggest and most popular basketball league in the world, with countless young players dreaming of playing at the highest level and achieving fame and success.

For decades, the league has been home to some of the greatest basketball legends. In the 1990s and 2000s, the NBA was dominated by “iso-ball” players — stars given the ball and the freedom to create scoring opportunities on their own. Icons such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and James Harden all thrived in this style.

Yet, some teams even during that era emphasized movement and team-oriented basketball. The San Antonio Spurs, for instance, relied heavily on ball movement, while the Golden State Warriors, under the leadership of Stephen Curry, revolutionized offensive spacing and pace.

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In the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, hosted by LeBron James and fellow NBA legend Steve Nash, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar opened up about the evolution of NBA tactics and suggested that the days of traditional iso-ball are over.

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“We didn’t have this many defenses and nuances of how to play defense vs. iso, isolated players back, I would say 5-to-7 years ago,” LeBron said. “Now there’s so many different ways to get the ball out of a guy’s hands. If he is just sitting there isoing on the wing, you can flood the whole side and bring another guy to the elbow. You could literally run a guy and just go trap him and now you got three defenders.”

He added, “You got the guy that’s guarding the ball, the guy that came over to trap him and you have the sideline. There’s so many different ways, and in our game of pace-and-space and rhythm, you are out of rhythm. You kind of want the ball popping or you want the trigger to happen, either by the pass or by pick-and-roll. You have a dynamic pick-and-roll player that can attract two on the ball, now you’re playing the 4-on-3 game, you are playing the numbers game. That’s the game right now, it’s the numbers game.”

LeBron explained further, highlighting how modern NBA offenses revolve around creating movement and spacing rather than relying on one-on-one isolation plays:

“How can you start the blender? Is the blender being started with the pass and cut? Is it what the Miami Heat are doing? Or is it what the Lakers are doing, where we start a lot of our plays with pick-and-roll because we have such a dynamic pick-and-roll player in Luka? The trigger, how do you create the blender? Creating the trigger used to be where guys catch the ball at the elbow in the Karl Malone-area, face up, jab and jab. You need it a little bit, but it’s definitely on the lower side of that pie chart now. It is not a big piece of the demographic of winning basketball, in my case. I don’t see it.”

LeBron’s observations reflect the broader evolution of basketball tactics. Successful dynasties often adapt and innovate, and today’s NBA emphasizes pace, spacing, and numbers advantages over isolation scoring. For the Lakers, players like LeBron and Austin Reaves enjoy freedom to operate in multiple areas of the court, a stark contrast to the rigid iso-heavy systems of the early 2000s.

As the league continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see what new offensive systems emerge and whether older iso-ball strategies will make a comeback or remain largely a relic of the past. One thing is certain: the game of basketball will always reward innovation, adaptability, and players capable of thriving in ever-changing systems.

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