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Love thanks James Jones for being the best teammate he ever had

kevinlove / Instagram

Those of you who know Champ will appreciate this... I’d like to tribute the best teammate I've ever had, James Jones aka Champ. You taught me more than you know the past 2 years— what it takes to win, how to be a better teammate, how to balance the good/bad off the court, and most importantly...putting team first. Sacrifice for the better of the team, and in order to lead sometimes you have to learn to follow. You’ve been to 6 straight Finals. You’ve been the constant presence we needed in the locker room. You’re the ultimate work horse. The lessons you taught me will stay with me for the rest of my career and life after basketball. No one can avoid the ups and downs of the Playoffs, and when many wrote me off after a tough stretch in the Finals… you and the team stuck by me allowing me to flourish and make plays when it mattered most. Like you told me not too long ago, “don’t be afraid to be yourself.” And now I’ll never be— thanks for everything. Keep being you Champ. 🏆🏆🏆-🏆

A photo posted by @kevinlove on

The Big Three garner all the attention for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but there's a number of unsung heroes who contributed to their championship.

One such player was James Jones, the sweet-shooting bench forward that has three rings to his name.

Jones played a grand total of 55 minutes in the Cavaliers' title run, scoring a mere six points, but he made his contribution off the court by helping a beleaguered Kevin Love find his confidence when he struggled to start the Finals.

Love would eventually bounce back with a strong performance in Game 7, and he took some time to thank Jones for keeping him in high spirits during darker times.

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