Many kids in the 2000s grew up idolizing LeBron James and dreamed of playing alongside him someday. For those who had the chance, including the veterans who were on the same side as the King, it was a blessing. However, it can also be a curse at times.
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There are only a few players better than LeBron in the world. However, being there with him on the hardwood also forces players to make a ton of sacrifices. So when Richard Jefferson told ESPN that being the four-time NBA champion’s teammate “sucks,” it may have come across as badmouthing. But the statement is laced with reality.
Describing being James’ teammate as difficult is just a matter of perspective. Iman Shumpert, who played with Bron on the Cleveland Cavaliers between 2015 and 2018, spoke about it moments after Jefferson’s remarks surfaced.
Shumpert was a member of the Cavs’ 2016 NBA title-winning side. So he has some experience. How did Shumpert respond to RJ’s words?
“To give it context, the statement, yes, it does suck,” stated Shumpert. “I’m going to say for two reasons.”
“I’m going to piggyback off Richard’s statement in saying there’s a ridiculous amount of pressure that comes with it because you have to be in a win-now mindset every time you play on his team,” added the 35-year-old.
To be fair, every team should be in a win-now mindset. But some are just more realistic about what they can do. Then again, that’s not what Shumpert was implying.
The former guard was saying the pressure comes from the league and the media, who always expect James to win.
“He is always expected to be at the top of the league. To win a championship, he’s gonna provide enough for you guys to get in there and make a difference,” Shumpert stated.
That may seem like a good deal for most players, but as Shumpert revealed, it requires players to take a step back at what they do. “You have to be able to say now, in this time I’m playing with LeBron, can I sacrifice if I was scoring 20 a game somewhere else? Now, it needs to be 12 a game,” he said.
Shumpert admitted that this was something he faced when playing with LBJ: “It was a hard pivot for me to swallow as a player. To hear that when I’m young and trying to get my stuff off. I’m like, ‘Man, I really want to get better.'”
Shumpert’s coach at the time was Ty Lue, who told him that winning a ring is forever. “I understand now. Him [Lue] saying it ain’t about you. You [are] gonna want that ring way more than player of the month,” he said.
“Forget all that. Do you want to be a part of something that’s forever? It sucks when you are going through that because that’s a mental battle for any player. It sucks in the beginning when you think of that,” added Shumpert.
It is a tough situation. Every NBA star wants to believe that a team can win because of the greatness they add. Telling someone that they need to scale back can go against some people’s nature.
That said, the proof is in the pudding. Basketball is a team game, and there is no better team player than LeBron. He makes everyone around him better, whether they know it or not.
