Cavs' Jefferson: LeBron spends equal time working on game, team chemistry
LeBron James is on a mission to become the greatest player of all time, and although it's an individual feat, it also requires considerable team success.
With that in mind, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar has been exerting as much effort into building team chemistry as he has into improving his game, according to teammate Richard Jefferson.
"A lot of people don't see how hard (James) works," the 36-year-old small forward recently told ESPN's Marc Stein, marveling at King James' training regiment. "I haven't been around guys like Kobe (Bryant) and Michael Jordan, obviously, but as far as the amount of time put in, (James) can't be too far off.
"But I will say is the amount of time he spends being great with lifting and shooting and training, he is as equal when it comes to spending time trying to be a good teammate."
Jefferson pointed to the dinners, holiday parties, and movie nights the "camaraderie individual" has planned for his teammates.
"He spends as much time trying to be great on the court as he does trying to make sure that the team is a cohesive unit off the court," he added.
The four-time MVP's efforts appear to be paying off, as the Cavs are comfortably the best team in the East and among the league's elite. At 26-7, they're rolling while also enjoying the camaraderie of a college squad.
"That's something that as a group, it starts with your best player. And LeBron being that type of guy, he wants guys to feel included," said Jefferson, who then pointed out an example of how that helped the club.
"All that Kevin Love and LeBron talk, but people would see that on the court, but they wouldn't see LeBron and Kev at dinner the very next night, knowing that, you know, 'hey, we're going to figure this out.' You look at how Kevin has played this year, and a lot of it is because he's feeling more comfortable in his role but also because he's been put in a position of feeling comfortable on and off the court."
Jefferson nearly missed out on this team building and title defense, as he told reporters he was "done" after winning a championship last season. The veteran, who's played for seven franchises over 16 NBA seasons, indicated Cleveland's special chemistry compelled him to come back for another go.
"It has less to do with the championship, and more the individuals I'm playing with. ... There is really a brotherhood that the team has really embraced, and you just enjoy it too much," he said.
Related: LeBron pokes fun at Jefferson's age while praising him