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There are pros and cons to being Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James' teammate. As a member of the 2016 champion Cleveland Cavs, Richard Jefferson can attest to his experience with the future Hall of Fame forward. Amid James trade speculation ahead of his final season with the Lakers, as many believe it to be, Jefferson spoke out.
While focusing on the cons, Jefferson explained how James commands efficiency from his teammates and can be very explicitly vocal about it, per ESPN's Road Tripin podcast.
“Hell yeah, there’s cons. Here are the cons,” Jefferson said. “Playing with LeBron sucks because you're trying to win a championship. He’s one of the most competitive human beings in the history of American sports and sports in general. Does it suck when you're showing up and he's already been practicing for four hours and you're like, “Oh s***.” When he's watching film and you mess up a play, and he's just like, “M***********, what are you doing?”
“And it's like, yeah, those are the cons, but there were cons for playing with Jordan. There were cons for playing with Kobe. There were cons with playing with players that were so great that they demanded excellence,” Jefferson concluded.
Jefferson's take on James doesn't come as a surprise, considering NBA fans have heard similar stories from teammates of other all-time greats such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. It's the level of focus that led to Hall of Fame talents like Jordan and Bryant winning 4+ championships, as the pressure to succeed can yield an aggressive approach to achieving greatness.
This was discussed during the LeBron trade rumors, focusing on how a team acquiring him would have to contend with James in what could be his final year in the NBA, along with the pressure to win.
Charles Barkley keeps it 100 amid LeBron James, Lakers debate
Amid trade speculation, NBA analyst Charles Barkley delivered his take on LeBron James ahead of his 23rd NBA season. For Barkley, playing off the ball isn't an issue at this stage of James' career.
“[LeBron James is] on the downside of his career. It's Luka's [Doncic] team going forward,” Barkley said. “But hey, they got bigger problems than those guys. They got to worry about the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets, and the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers are gonna have a good team. But everything in the West start with OKC, the Houston Rockets, and the Denver Nuggets.”
"[LeBron James is] on the downside of his career. It's Luka's [Doncic] team going forward. But hey, they got bigger problems than those guys."
Charles Barkley on James' place within the Lakers 🗣️
(via @YahooSports)pic.twitter.com/mGJTpM0eLB
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 14, 2025
Either way, it looks like 2025-26 could be James' final season with the Lakers.
