Amazing Jeff Teague story puts LeBron James' basketball IQ into perspective

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is one of the most fascinating athletes in the history of organized sports. Despite his generational traits as a physical anomaly, it's his mind that often steals the show.

Few are more aware of that fact than the players who were tasked with attempting to overcome James during his reign of dominance over the Eastern Conference.

A James-led team reached the NBA Finals in every season between 2010-11 and 2017-18. It was an almost unprecedented level of dominance over a conference, comparing all but exclusively to the Showtime Lakers, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' two three-peats, and Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics' eight straight championships.

On a recent episode of the Club 520 podcast, former All-Star point guard Jeff Teague told an incredible story about the way James' mind works.

For those who can't see the video, Teague said the following:

"At All-Star, [LeBron] told me, we swept them in the regular season. Beat them by 25 every game. He came to me, he was like: 'I figured y'all out.' I said: You figured us out? Man, all he did was run the 3-1 pick and roll. He'd bring me up there, set it, I'll hedge. Set it again, I'll hedge again. Set it again, eventually I gotta switch. Back me down, get to the free throw line, shoot over me. If somebody help, throw it to J.R. Smith: Three. Throw it to Kevin Love: Three. I was like, 'Yeah, it's over. He figured us out. Ain't no way I can guard [expletive] Bron."

It's the epitome of what makes James one of the greatest players ever: When he can't physically overwhelm you, he'll have already diagnosed how to beat you mentally.

Jeff Teague explains how LeBron James figured the Hawks out

Cleveland actually defeated Atlanta 127-94 in the first game between the two teams in 2014-15, but success quickly swung in the Hawks' favor. Teague and company won the next three games by scores of 127-98, 109-91, and 106-97.

Despite the fact that Atlanta, which won 60 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, had seemingly figured Cleveland out, it was James who got the last laugh.

The Cavaliers completed a clean sweep of the Hawks during the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals. Despite the injuries sustained by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, and James' personal lack of efficiency as a scorer, it was a dissection of Atlanta's vaunted offense that propelled Cleveland forward.

The Hawks ranked No. 6 in the NBA in offensive rating that season, but the Cavaliers held them below 90 points in three of the four games that series.

It was the ultimate testament to what James told Teague: He'd figured Atlanta out. His coaches and teammates played massive parts in that success, but the way a 60-win Hawks team went out against James and the Cavaliers was the epitome of the experience of Eastern Conference teams during that time.

Atlanta had unleashed a balanced offensive attack, highlighted by the presence of four All-Stars, yet it couldn't buy a bucket down the stretch against Cleveland.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that James' generational basketball IQ will help it win at least one more championship with him on the roster. That played out in 2019-20, and resulted in a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022-23.

Entering the 2024-25 season, the 39-year-old James will look to prove that his reign over the NBA won't be over until he ultimately retires.