Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James was not done surprising everyone, releasing a video on his new channel on YouTube about his reunion with his former teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers in Europe in June.
James, Kevin Love, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, and Matthew Dellavedova celebrated the 10th anniversary of their historic championship in 2016 by playing golf, visiting tourist spots, drinking lots of wine, and reminiscing about the old days.
It was further proof that they have remained close even after they have gone their separate ways since teaming up on the Cavaliers. At the end of the video, the 41-year-old James could not help but be reflective about the chance to catch up with his former teammates.
“To be able to reunite with these guys and do a trip like this, it means everything to me. I know it means everything to the guys, and we share so many different moments—remarkable moments, highs, lows, everything in between—and the way we won that championship in ’16 under the circumstances that we were in, seeing that everybody is doing well, thriving in their lives and families and everything, it means a lot,” said James.
“This brotherhood and this friendship that we have, we don’t take it for granted. Pretty special to have my guys around and be able to experience something like this.”
As of writing, the video has garnered 1.3 million views.
Their relationship was forged by a shared experience of trying to win the title, culminating in their unprecedented comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.
A decade later, only James and Love are still playing. Still, they have all remained present in each other’s lives. In a cutthroat world like the NBA, it is rare to find a real and lasting connection, so what James and company have is truly admirable.