Chad Ochocinco Johnson, popularly known as Ocho Cinco doesn’t mind a little throwback now and again. In a recent interview alongside the co-host Paul Rivera, LeBron James, and Sauce Gardner, he spoke about one of the hidden assets of his game, the mental games. They discussed past strategies to handle an opponent’s huddle. From ‘trash-talking’ to straight-up giving the opponents a hard time, the NFL veteran had all the tricks up his sleeve, and LeBron James couldn’t hold in his chuckles on set.

It all began when Rivera asked Ocho what he would do if he broke the huddle to see that a 6’3 monster was waiting for him. Ocho very wittingly replied, “I’m talking sh*t. Right out the huddle.” He explained that he prefers playing ‘press’ and from thereon, he dissects the huddle. He talks about the importance of trash-talking as an in-game strategy. “The trash-talking is to get to him mentally. I like to play mental gymnastics. I just need to get this much edge, slightly, mentally.”

“Physically you might be better than me, but if I can get you talking back, or just engaging, I know I got you.” But Ocho’s antics do not stop there. He explores the tactics of pre-game antics and recalls a bold move he pulled before a game against the Cleveland Browns. Right when he was up against the Browns, he was engaged in sponsorship with Pepto Bismol at that time, a medication that works as an antacid.

He claims he parceled some Pepto Bismol to the entire secondary, right before the match, along with a cheeky note that said, “This is for y’all cause y’all gonna get sick to your stomachs trying to cover me.” This was so funny that it caused King James to take to Instagram and repost a snippet from the latest episode of his show with a bunch of laughing emojis.

He feels this is how the game should be played, claiming he was “a villain back then.” His menacing mental games might have made him some enemies. His anecdote about the Browns would fit right into the Bengals-Browns legacy.

LeBron James and Chad Ocho – The Battle of Ohio!

Ocho Cinco played for the Cincinnati Bengals for an entire decade, after he was signed by them in the second round of the 2001 draft. If you’re familiar with football, you would know that the Cincinnati Bengals have been in strife with the Cleveland Browns for decades. Both teams are based in Ohio. Interestingly, Cleveland is Lebron’s favorite NFL team, (he started his NBA career with the Cavs), after all the star hails from Ohio. The two athletes have known each other for a long time.

In fact, in a hilarious anecdote narrated by the footballer, he claimed to have beaten LeBron 1v1 in a game of basketball, 21-17, for $1000! And as much as Ocho would like people to believe this story, he claimed to have potential witnesses as well! “Ask Carmelo (Anthony), ask D. Wade and ask Westbrook what I did to him (LeBron James) when we played 1-on-1 when they was prepping for the season,” he said.

However, that wasn’t the only instance where the player fooled around while narrating stories about James.

It seems that the two stars share a unique camaraderie and have always expressed mutual respect and admiration for each other.
Even though Ocho has now retired, he continues to build his NFL legacy and is still engaged with the sport, behind the scenes.