LeBron James is arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time and arguably the greatest floor-raiser in the history of the NBA. The mere presence of James back in his heyday meant 50 wins and a near-guaranteed NBA Finals appearance, and there may not be a more incredible tour-de-force than his final season with the Cavs during the 2017-18 campaign — when his game was perhaps the most complete it’s ever been as he led an undertalented Cleveland squad all the way to a third consecutive Finals matchup against the Golden State Warriors.
However, as great as James is, there are still a few challenges that his teammates have to grapple with. In fact, one former Cavs teammate of his, Richard Jefferson (who played an instrumental role in their 2016 title), explained what makes it difficult to play alongside a player of James’ stature and caliber.
“Playing with LeBron sucks because you’re trying to win a championship. He is one of the most competitive human beings in the history of American sports and sports in general. Does it suck when you’re showing up and he’s already been practicing for four hours and you’re like ‘oh s***.’ When he’s watching film and you mess up a play, and he’s just like, ‘motherf***er, what are you doing?” Jefferson said on an episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast.
James did not get to the level he’s at by resting on his laurels, and the high standards he has for himself, he holds others to as well. After all, there is no ‘I’ in team, and James knew that for the Cavs and his other teams to win a championship, everybody had to play their role to the best of their abilities.
Jefferson, at the very least, was able to suck it up and do what the Cavs needed him to to win it all in 2016.
Cavs still looking to find playoff success in the post-LeBron James era
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The 2024-25 season was supposed to be the golden one for the Cavs, as they were one of the best regular season teams in the league and were well-poised to make it deep into the playoffs considering how much depth they had.
Alas, the Cavs ran into some injury troubles in the postseason and never really got going against the Indiana Pacers. And just like that, their 64-win season came to a dispiriting end in the second round of the playoffs, losing in five games.
But they are looking to run it back, and with the East being wide-open, perhaps this is the year where they break through in the post-LeBron James era.
