Monday Slice: Naomi Osaka fights jetlag in Japan, LeBron James wishes he could be a tennis player
The four-time Grand Slam champion recently teamed up with the basketball great for the launch of her new media company—but it seems they could have almost been mixed doubles partners instead.
A look at the best in social media from the past week.
N****aomi Osaka’s dreamy trip to Japan
Naomi Osaka has been sidelined for a few weeks with an Achilles injury, but now she’s in her anime "training arc" gearing up for her big comeback ahead of the US Open swing.
The former world No. 1 also took some time off to travel to her birth country and take in the sights and sounds of Japan. From shopping in Tokyo to visiting shrines and temples, Osaka has been posting up a storm sharing some dreamy snaps on social media.
The four-time Grand Slam champion also dropped her second major fashion collaboration with Levi’s, brought to life from her own hand-drawn sketches.
“I feel like my personal style is a pretty good mix of both sporty and feminine, and I think this collection reflects that,” Osaka told Vogue in an interview.
*L***eBron James, serving and volleying? **
Basketball great LeBron James has racked up records and accolades while dominating his sport, earning himself the nickname “King James”. But imagine if he had picked another sport, like tennis?
Well, it almost happened. Sort of.
In a new episode of The Shop by Uninterrupted, the 37-year-old discussed the way he’s trying to instill a winning mentality among his LA Lakers teammates. In fact, it’s the mentality of a tennis player that appeals to James, who has mentored the likes of Naomi Osaka in the past—the pair even teamed up to launch her new media company, Hana Kuma, together.
“I’m obsessed with it, with “win or bust”. And what makes me have sleepless nights, is when you don’t have everyone that feels the same way on your club,” he said.
“There’s times when I wished I was a tennis player, or a golfer, when it was literally like, ‘Look in the mirror, it’s you verse you.’”
Can you imagine trying to return a LeBron James serve?
Thankfully for the rest of the ATP Tour already living in the age of the Big Three, the 6’9” player stuck with hoops instead of tennis.