LeBron James led his team to the 2012 NBA champion and was voted MVP.  He delivered when so many questioned if he ever would. Or could.  What gave him the extra edge to get the results he was after?

LeBron James averaged 43.4 minutes per game during the playoffs…How does he have the stamina? Like so many of the best athletes in the world, James gives credit to a combination of swimming, yoga and Pilates for his stamina. “Does it work for everybody? I don’t know,” James said Friday. “I’m not a guru about how to be in the best condition — don’t let me sit here and tell you that. But it works for me.”  Why do so many of the rich and famous incorporate pilates into their workout?  Because they get the results they are looking for.

His team mate NBA All-Star Dwayne Wade –  said I have tight hips and I felt I needed to loosen up and be more flexible as I got older,” . He started taking private yoga lessons. “Just basic yoga—I wasnt ready for the hot stuff,” he said. “Yoga is a totally different way of stretching and really challenging.” Mr. Wade says he persuaded his teammate, LeBron James, to join him.

“He’s stiffer than me,” he joked. James, in turn, persuaded Wade to try machine-based Pilates that included the Pilates Reformer, Pilates Cadillac, Pilates Chair, Pilates Barrel, and Magic Circle.  Each Pilates Machine is engineered to lengthen muscles and strengthen the core muscles while being in perfect balance & alignment. “I really felt the Pilates loosen up my muscles,” said Wade.

The attention to strengthening, lengthening and balance, paid off during the season. “I recall one time making a move, and the basketball ended up under my foot and I almost did a split on the ball.”  Normally, that’s a groin pull, but because of of the Pilates and yoga he bounced right back.”

more about their training via Pilates a key workout for Miami basketball star Dwayne Wade | Fox News.

Mind Bodies: Yoga, Pilates, pedicures. They don’t sound like the workout routine of a pro-basketball player. But Dwyane Wade, the superstar shooting guard with the Miami Heat, has embraced them.

During last year’s lockout, players couldn’t get access to NBA team facilities or trainers. “The lockout meant I was working out with a different trainer,” says Mr. Wade, “and he introduced me to different types of workouts that I didn’t even know my body needed, like yoga.”

Mr. Wade, who turned 30 in January, could be considered old by NBA standards. He says a large part of his preseason training was focused on keeping his body healthy and injury-free through the season. Nevertheless, he has struggled with injuries, including a strained calf and sprained right ankle.

In addition to his time on the court and in the gym, Mr. Wade, who stands 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 220 pounds, puts in time on the massage table. “I’m huge on massage work,” he says. “I’ve done more stretching this season than ever before. My therapist’s hands get tired from working on me.”

via Dwyane Wade’s Workout: Yoga and Pilates – WSJ.com.