Richard Jefferson only played two seasons with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers . However, LBJ's impact on RJ is lasting. In fact, Jefferson still remembers how it felt to be James' teammate.
According to RJ, playing on the same team with LBJ depends on a player's mindset and attitude. For those who aren't as disciplined and determined as James, it's not fun. On the other hand, it's the opposite for those who have the same goal and work ethic as LeBron.
"Playing with LeBron sucks because you're trying to win a championship," Jefferson said on an episode of the "Road Trippin" podcast. "He is 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—t.' When he's watching film, and you mess up a play, and he's just like, 'motherf—er, what are you doing?"
Jefferson was already on his way out when he joined the Cavs in 2015. The timing was perfect for an aging veteran, as James was on a mission to fulfill his promise, and that was to give Cleveland a championship in his return.
That season, what Jefferson witnessed was what he considers the best version of LeBron . For RJ, King James proved to everybody that he was the greatest player on the planet when he spearheaded the Cavs' upset championship win over the Golden State Warriors .
Richard also noted that Bron's iconic chasedown block on Andre Iguodala was not only the game-winning play of the series but also the defining moment of James' ascend to unquestionable GOAT status.
"Which version is the best? Is it the Lakers in 2020? Is it the Miami LeBron? Or Cleveland? Let me tell you this — the Cleveland LeBron; the Cleveland LeBron, those couple of seasons. That was the best basketball I've ever seen a player play in my entire life," Jefferson said.
"The greatest play that I've ever seen — it's the block. It's the block because that's Game 7, he's played every minute, it's the last possible game, it's the last possible minute, and he does an athletic feat of sprinting back. Split-second late and that's goaltending, and it's like, this dude led the series in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks — in EVERY category," he added.
Like Jefferson, James himself also believed that he became the greatest player to ever play the game when he led the Cavs to an emphatic championship run in 2016. Despite establishing himself as arguably the GOAT, LeBron did not stop there.
LBJ went on and took the Cavs to two more Finals appearances before leaving for the Los Angeles Lakers . In just his second season with the Purple & Gold, James already brought the championship back to L.A.
As it stands, James already has four NBA titles, but it seems like he is far from done. At year 23, LeBron still leads by example, demonstrating the same work ethic and attitude to his teammates.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
