LeBron James has been the face of the NBA over the past decade. Coming into the league, expectations were high. People were depending on an 18-year-old to become one of the best stars in the NBA. It is safe to say that he exceeded expectations and has become one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
LeBron has been on three different teams during his career: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his illustrious 19 year career, he has had the opportunity to play with some incredibly gifted teammates.
James has been able to carry a heavy load for many of his teams, often leading weaker teams into deep playoff runs. However, he often received help from stars that helped him earn four NBA championships. Here are the best teammates LeBron James has ever played with in his career.
5. Kevin Love
When LeBron James returned to Cleveland during the summer of 2014, the Cavs also traded for Kevin Love to form a Big 3. That proved to be a wise decision because the Cavaliers won a championship in 2016, thanks to the help of Kevin Love.
As the third option, Love helped space the floor and allowed LeBron to drive and find shooters on the perimeter. Love was also a valuable rebounder for the Cavs, averaging 8.8 rebounds per game during their title run.
4. Chris Bosh
LeBron James and Chris Bosh won two championships together as members of the Miami Heat. Chris Bosh is often underappreciated when people talk about Miami’s Big 3, consisting of LeBron, Bosh, and another player that will be mentioned later. The gravity of the other two players made people forget about Bosh, but that doesn’t mean that Bosh wasn’t a special star.
Chris Bosh is a Hall-of-Famer. He was a terrific basketball player, especially for the Miami Heat. With two other stars on the team, Bosh had the ability to do all of the necessary things to win basketball games. It was Bosh’s rebound and pass to Ray Allen that saved the Miami Heat from losing the 2013 NBA Finals. Bosh also had some key defensive plays during the Heat’s championship runs.
3. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is a sensational athlete. LeBron James returned to Cleveland and led them to a championship in 2016. All of that was special, but none of it would have been possible without Kyrie Irving.
Irving was arguably the best offensive talent James ever played with. What makes Kyrie Irving so special is that he can create his own shots with his incredible ball-handling skills. That put less pressure on LeBron to generate all of the shots for his team.
During the 2016 Finals, LeBron was the best player in the series, but Kyrie turned into the second best player. In the Cavaliers’ three wins to be the first to overcome a 3-1 deficit in NBA Finals history, he averaged 30 points a game, including a huge shot late in the fourth quarter of Game 7.
2. Anthony Davis
When LeBron James joined a young Los Angeles Lakers team in the summer of 2018, it seemed like he was going to have a difficult path to win his fourth NBA championship. That all changed when the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis, who instantly made the team title contenders.
Davis is the best two-way player LeBron has ever played with in his career. His elite rim protection and impact on the defensive end made the Lakers a great defensive team. With LeBron playing point guard, he was able to find Davis for several pick-and-roll dives to the basket. Davis’ ability to shoot also makes him a threat from almost anywhere on the court.
1. Dwyane Wade
When LeBron made the decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010, he did so because he wanted to join forces with Dwyane Wade. The two called themselves “Peanut Butter and Jelly” because of the way they worked so well together.
LeBron and Wade dominated as teammates. Once the two had a conversation about LeBron becoming the primary option on the team, Wade became the perfect complimentary star to James. His speed and his ability to get to the rim were particularly useful for LeBron, who excels at passing and scoring in transition. Wade’s ability to defend also made him one of the most valuable teammates LeBron has had in his career.
