Fouling up on the three right at the end of a game is a highly debated strategy in the NBA. While some players and coaches are strictly against the strategy, some have publicly voiced their opinion in favour of the infamous tactics. One of the biggest icons of the game and four-time NBA Champion, LeBron James, has remained in favour of ‘fouling up on the three’.

Recently, in the Mind The Game podcast with Steve Nash, LeBron was asked about the strategy, and he replied, “Oh yeah! If I am coaching, then we’ll be fouling up the three.” Nash immediately nodded his head in agreement. While LeBron James has been clear about his thoughts on the strategy for years, it was his thinking as a coach that intrigued a lot of people. Does it mean he is already planning to take up coaching duties? Given his current situation at the Lakers and the uncertainty around his future in the NBA, there could be a possibility that the 41-year-old may take up a new role sooner than we expect.

He definitely answered thinking like a coach. He went on to explain the dos and the don’ts in this strategy and highlighted that a team must have timeouts so that they can execute this play, or else they will be forced to inbound the ball underneath their own basket with the clock running down. Overall, his decision on the strategy would depend on how long the opposition can extend the game and the quality of free-throwers that they have.

While we all know that LeBron James has exceptional basketball IQ, during this question in the podcast, it felt like he had put on his coaching hat, and most of his answers had solid reasoning.

What did LeBron James further say about fouling up three?

Speaking about the important aspects that affect the late-game philosophy of fouling up three, Nash highlighted the presence of a good inbounder, as the opposition players are always pressurising while looking for a steal. LeBron immediately came up with an example from last season’s playoff series between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, where Jaylen Brown was fouled late in the game during a three point attempt though he still scored the three-pointer to tie the game, the Pacers couldn’t inbound the ball properly as the Celtics got a steal and the game rolled over to overtime. Eventually, the Celtics won the game 133-128.

“These are moments that you got to have a great inbounder, ” LeBron James added. “You have to actually work on these plays, too. You have to take five minutes at the end of practice.”

Here again, he is thinking like a coach about things that they would do prepare his team for a situation like this. LeBron has been in the league for over two decades, and, commonly, he will be aware of such intricacies, but the way he demonstrates the different aspects sounds like he could be a good coach in future once he decides to hang up his boots.

Lebron James could pursue coaching once he calls time to his NBA career

While there’s no official timeline for LeBron James’ future in the NBA, the people in the inner circles have started speculating on the avenues he could move to once he decides to call time on his playing career. According to NBA Insider Brian Windhorst, an NBA coach still feels that the 41-year-0ld star could continue playing in the NBA. “LeBron is still averaging 20 points and shooting 50%. He can help a team win. You just have to find the right situation,” Windhorst quoted him.

There was a period where it felt like the Los Angeles Lakers would oblige any of LeBron James’ demands, but that narrative changed quickly once they traded for Luka Doncic. Now, the Slovenian is the face of the franchise, and with Austin Reaves also taking big strides, LeBron’s influence on the court has gone down considerably.

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While LeBron is yet to lay out any retirement plans, he did confirm that the end of his career is coming ‘a lot sooner than later’ but as of now, there’s no confirmation on the same. He is currently in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He has missed 16 games due to sciatica and other injuries, and even on his return, he has been a misfit for this Lakers unit.

In 17 games this season, King James is averaging 21.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while shooting 51.1% from the field. Although his output has gone down, he has taken up a new role of playing off the ball following Reaves’ injury absence. Rather than a superstar, he is now featuring as a connector, who, with his playmaking and movement, allows others to shine.