LeBron James is widely considered one of the best teammates to have on your team. If you can block out the noise that comes with being James’ teammate, then you are most likely going to see a great improvement in your own game when James is on your team.
Not just because of the dominance he has in his performance, but his passing vision and playmaking IQ are so exceptional that if he trusts you, he will find a way to make the ball reach you in a place where you have the best shot available.
But all of this is dependent on how you are able to showcase your abilities to James and gain his trust in you as a person. At least that is what Richard Jefferson, the former NBA champion who won his first title with LeBron James on the Cavaliers in 2016, said about having James as a teammate.
Jefferson appeared on the Road Trippin Podcast with Kendrick Perkins and Channing Frye and explained LeBron James’ relationship with Frye in simple words. Before joining the Lakers in the summer of 2018, James was teammates with Jefferson and Frye on the Cavaliers.
“Bron, I don’t think ever truly respected you on the basketball court. I think his respect for you as a human being as a person, that’s where he f—king rides with you,” explained Jefferson.
“If he doesn’t f**k with you as a human being, then it’s kind of okay, ‘We’re just teammates.’…You never get a moment of acceptance from Bron. He looks at you like you did your job…So I respect the fact that I can trust you to do your job. If Bron can trust you to do your job, he will f**k with you till the end of the day.”
What Jefferson was trying to say is that James’ respect for a lot of his teammates was dependent on multiple factors. On the court, it was how well they played their role on the team and what versatility they brought to the game plan for James.
Off the court, however, James was a different judge of character. Players like Danny Green have accepted in the past that it can be tough to be LeBron James’ teammate off the court, because of the noise and pressure that comes with it.
While some may buckle and fold under that pressure, most good players find a way to focus on what Bron brings to the court and not what is being said off the court about them. There are other ways to gain James’ respect for people who are not his teammates. But James expects excellence from his teammates and the innate ability to deal with high-pressure situations.
