Winning an NBA championship is the pinnacle achievement in the career of professional basketball players. The season is long and filled with tests, both mental and physical.
When you spend as much time together as athletes do, a certain camaraderie begins to develop. Long flights, bus rides, and countless practice sessions aid in the familiarity amongst teammates.
After last year’s historic championship winning season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have become increasingly close. Fans of the team may have witnessed the progression of the fellowship on social media.
Richard Jefferson, Cavs small forward, typically leads the charge when it comes to sharing the team’s unique connection. Recently, Jefferson and his teammates spoke to Fox Sports Ohio with regards to their group chat chain.
The group chats are – whew,” Jefferson said. “You don’t know what it’s going to be about.”
It’s some funny things that happen in this chat,” said Kyrie Irving. “You know, just guys being guys.”
Iman Shumpert chimed in.
I mean, half of the time, I’m not responding because I’m busy laughing at what’s going on. Sometimes, the phone is going off late at night and I gotta tell my wife, ‘Hey, it’s a group chat. They’re on a roll,” Shumpert said.
J.R. Smith revealed who gets “out of hand” in the group chat, saying:
Tristan (Thompson) can get out of hand,” Smith said with a smile. “RJ (Jefferson) can get SUPER out of hand. And Channing (Frye) just antagonizes the guys to get out of hand. I’m the role of common guy style. I’m a guy like, ‘Ok, we’re taking it too far now, guys. We gotta scale back a little bit.'”
Channing Frye, Cleveland’s stretch big man, shed light on what is discussed in the group chat.
You know, it’s just for us to communicate. We’re constantly talking to each other. We’re talking about what somebody’s not doing…or who’s fat. You know, we just like each other. We like being around each other,” Frye said.
The Cavs seem to have forged a genuine friendship with one another. As Jefferson says, “The group chats are just kind of, you know, what makes us – us.”
