What LeBron James had to do to lead the Los Angeles Lakers into victory against the Houston Rockets took fortitude, both mentally and physically. 

To do what James has done throughout his career with the longevity that has defined the recent headlines about him, it takes a supreme amount of focus and mental strength.

Obviously, James puts a lot of effort into his physical conditioning to be able to be to keep up his level of play at 41, but there's mental and spiritual conditioning that needs to take place as well. 

Which leads to his pregame routine that drew some attention ahead of Game 6 against the Rockets, a game where James both led in scoring with 28 points and led the Lakers to a series victory in. 

James was seen on the bench ahead of the game with his eyes closed, seemingly in a meditative state. When asked about the ritual after the game, James gave an answer that offered an inside look into his thought process, both at this point in his career as a whole and considering the situation he found himself in as a first option yet again.

"Just trying to immerse into the atmosphere. There's gonna be highs, there's gonna be lows, but for me as the leader of the ball club I need to stay even-keeled," James said (via The Sporting Tribune). "Talk to some of the higher gods above, give my thanks and just take a few deep breaths and get ready for the arena."

James has a heavy burden on him with Luka Doncic injured and likely not returning in time for the Lakers' upcoming series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That burden is somewhat alleviated with Austin Reaves back on the floor, but James will still likely have to do most of the heavy lifting. 

The experience that he's gained across more than two decades in the NBA means that James has found himself in this situation many times before and knows how to handle the pressure and it seems that a big part of handling that pressure is the way that he's been able to master his mind. 

The playoffs themselves are a mental battle for any player, even more so for someone in James' position who's being trusted to lead a team against a difficult opponent. 

The kind of mindfulness and gratitude that James practices is just one of many tools that he's picked up over the years of his career and it's a tool that helped him defy the odds against Houston.