CLEVELAND -- LeBron James is one of the best basketball players on the planet, but to his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates, he is much more than that.
The Cavaliers understand what James means to the organization from a pure talent standpoint, but also, the players have a unique perspective of what makes the Akron native and St. Vincent-St. Mary High School product one of the elite players in the NBA.
“He’s incredible,” center Larry Nance Jr. said.
“I don’t know if there’s another word for it. It’s been ridiculous getting to go on this ride with him in the playoffs. From the outside looking in, you don’t get to see the type of leader, the type of teammate that he is. Just from being here, the way he treats us, his teammates, everybody associated with the Cavs, he’s much more than just a great basketball player.”
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Despite breaking in new lineups after acquiring guards Jordan Clarkson, George Hill and Rodney Hood, as well as Nance Jr., at the NBA trade deadline in early February, James had standout performances throughout the regular season and playoffs, so much so that he was named a finalist for the 2017-2018 NBA Most Valuable Player Award.
During the postseason, James averaged 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists while playing 41.9 minutes per game. Despite having to play two seven-game series before getting to the NBA Finals, James led the Cavaliers to their fourth consecutive Eastern Conference Championship.
In The Finals, James averaged 34.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.3 steals over 45.0 minutes per game.
“The guy put us on his back and got us to The Finals,” forward Jeff Green said. “You can’t do anything but tip your hat to him. The guy gave us his all to get to this point.
“Fifteen years and how much effort he put out, the guy’s amazing. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Despite being 33 years old and in his 15th NBA season, James played in all 82 regular-season games for the first time in his career, averaging 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.4 steals over 36.9 minutes per contest.
Always one to pride himself on efficiency, James shot 54.2 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range. James’ shooting percentage from three-point range was the third-best single-season mark of his career.
“To be the best player in the world and to give everything you've got in your 15th season, play all 82 games, probably one of the greatest playoff runs that we'll ever see from an individual, to carry this team the way he did all season and leading by example, it's just a testament to his character and who he is as a person and as a player,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said.
“He had a lot of opportunities where he could have sat out of games and was going through a tough stretch and wasn't playing well, but he didn't want to do that. A lot of guys would have folded under those circumstances, but he didn't. He's a bad boy, and I love having him on our team. He fights and competes to the end.”
