Last week, Kevin Love came out with the controversial statement that he and LeBron James aren’t the best of friends, which sparked an explosion of rumors that Love wasn’t happy with the Cavs and wanted out. He did say their relationship is evolving, but it’s not where they’d call each other best friends.
LeBron touched on that part with Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group:
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“People get so infatuated with the best of friends, things of that nature,” James said. “First of all, I’ve got three very good friends in this league, and that’s Carmelo (Anthony), and that’s C.P. (Chris Paul), and that’s D-Wade. And after that I have a bunch of teammates. I have guys I ride for every day.
But James also knows how important his relationships with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are if the Cavaliers are to succeed.
“But Kyrie is a guy I understand how important he is to this team, how important he is. And the same with Kev as well. In order for us to reach our potential, the Big Three has to be big,” James said. “And it can’t just be Kyrie one night, me one night, and Kev. We all have to be clicking at the same time in order for us to be successful.”
And even though it seems like James has created good bonds with his teammates through hardship and success, that’s basically all he considers them to be: his teammates.
“Friends or no friends, at the end of the day we’re all here to do one thing, and that’s to win,” said James.
In a championship or bust type of season for the Cavs, it seems like the only way to ease the talks and rumored tension between Love and James would be to win a championship.
