LeBron James is well-known for having played with a ton of different teammates. After all, he's played in three separate cities for a total of 22 years and counting. James has lasted through many eras of NBA basketball, playing with several different cores of guys, with no shortage of Hall of Fame teammates.
Critics like to use his sheer number of All-Star running mates to degrade LeBron's GOAT case, saying he's played with too much talent to only have four championships in 22 seasons. Others recognize this fact as a reflection of his incredible longevity and how impressive it is to win titles in three stops with three groups of players.
Logically, it doesn't seem correct to penalize James for playing with different sets of great players with different franchises, rather than sticking to the same one. Three times in his career he's felt the need to leave his current situation for greener pastures, and each time he's come up with a championship.
Having said all of this, it'd be interesting to hear who James considers his greatest teammate throughout his illustrious career.
LeBron James Snubbed Kyrie Irving and Dwyane Wade For Greatest Teammate
LeBron James Kyrie Irving
Back in December 2015, when James was beginning his second season back with the Cleveland Cavaliers during his second stop, he was asked about a certain player. This guy, according to James, was the greatest teammate he'd ever had, and it wasn't who you'd think it would be.
The two answers that immediately spring to mind are Kyrie Irving and Dwyane Wade. Irving, who was currently on the Cavaliers with James at the time, wasn't his pick despite just going through a long playoff run together the previous spring. James would play two more seasons with Irving, winning the 2016 title on Kyrie's legendary Game 7 three-pointer.
Bringing the trophy back to Cleveland and accomplishing his ultimate goal with Kyrie right by his side ought to have drawn the two closer, but Irving ultimately requested a trade in the summer of 2017. Although coming back from down 3-1 to beat the 73-win Warriors in 2016 is the moment of a lifetime, the pairing only spent three seasons together.
At the time, LeBron didn't even know about Kyrie's iconic Game 7 jumper.
Where it got weird was James omitting the man he had just spent four years playing alongside, Dwyane Wade. Wade was James' best friend before meeting up in South Beach as free agents to win two titles and go to four straight Finals. Wade was like an older brother to James, teaching him how to win despite being the far inferior player.
Wade won James' first championship with him. He helped recruit him to Miami in 2010, and was part of the "Banana Boat" crew that featured Wade, James, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony. He's clearly LeBron's greatest teammate on the floor, and is his best friend off the floor.
Clearly, it was an odd snub by James to leave Wade out for his greatest teammate. But who did he pick? Well, LeBron chose longtime veteran James Jones, who had spent the last five seasons with him in Miami and Cleveland. Jones was a member of every LeBron team from 2010 to 2017, going to seven straight NBA Finals with James.
Speaking back in 2015, King James declared:
He's my favorite player of all time. I told J.J., as long as I'm playing, he's going to be around. He's not allowed to stop playing basketball. So, I'm going to make sure I got a roster spot for him. I love him. He's the greatest teammate I've ever had.
James Jones Was the Ultimate Winner
James Jones Cleveland Cavaliers
Although Jones only averaged 5.2 points per game in his career, he was the ultimate winner. He played small roles on the Miami Finals teams and became more of a leader than an on-court contributor in Cleveland, but he was there the entire time. Jones was a mainstay voice in those locker rooms that made seven consecutive Finals from 2010 to 2017.
Jones averaged just 3.7 points in his postseason career, but made it 13 straight times to close out his career. He was never on a team with a losing record, played on five 60-win squads, and always brought value to winning. James credits him for his presence and wisdom on and off the floor, helping the group as a unit but also always there to answer questions for the younger players.
Jones was clearly the rock of those seven straight Finals appearances, the undersold commodity to a run by James that will never be seen again. James' choice of Jones over Wade is a reminder that oftentimes, these players remember their leaders more than their co-stars.
James Jones was a mentor for LeBron, even as he aged out of playing shape late in his career. He proved that leadership can be just as powerful a tool as on-court performance, and his teams thrived because of it.