LeBron James said the hardest part about quarantining during the Covid-19 pandemic was the time he was forced to spend away from his mother.
The NBA was suspended in March in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar quarantined in California, while his mother, Gloria, remained in Akron, Ohio.
"The only thing I missed during the quarantine period was my mother," James said. "It was the first time I went that long in my life without seeing my mom.
"I hadn't seen my mom since All-Star weekend. Then I saw her two weeks, three weeks before we had to report to our respective cities. That was extreme for me.
"Coming from a single-parent household, being an only child ... for me to be away from her that long [was difficult]. My mom kept me sane."
The league will resume next week at Disney World without spectators with the Lakers, who top the Western Conference with a 49-14 record, facing the Los Angeles Clippers.
James, meanwhile, said he is unfazed by news that the Most Valuable Player award will be decided before the league restarts. That leaves Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo in pole position to claim the honor.
"I'm not disappointed because things happen," James said. "Control what you can control - and I can't control that."
But he takes satisfaction from the fact he has proven himself in the ultra-competitive Western Conference after moving from the East and playing in the top team.
