Former Cavaliers Champion Says 'Playing with LeBron Sucks'

In his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James made the NBA Finals in all four years. It took 13 years and a short detour to the Miami Heat, but he eventually fulfilled his promise to the city and brought a championship to his hometown team.

Now, the Cavaliers are trying to return to the title game for the first time since his second departure. They've built an incredible roster around a "core four" of All-Stars in Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Despite their impressive collection of talent and dominance in the regular season, Cleveland has failed to replicate the success that they reached with James.

Having him on the roster virtually guarantees an appearance in the playoffs. The downside of that is that whatever team employs him also has to endure the weight and pressure of championship expectations. Anytime LeBron James doesn't win a title, it's considered a disappointment, regardless of the roster around him.

Richard Jefferson says that playing with LeBron James isn't for everybody

Part of that 2015-16 champion Cleveland Cavaliers squad was NBA veteran turned media personality Richard Jefferson. He was in the twilight of his career at that point, but still played a valuable role as a wing off the bench. Throughout their title run, he averaged 18 minutes per game, chipping in 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc.

Jefferson knows first-hand what it takes to win a championship in the NBA, as well as what it's like to play with LeBron James. On his Road Trippin' podcast, he explained that it's not all sunshine and rainbows:

"Playing with LeBron sucks because you’re trying to win a championship. 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***.’ When he’s watching film and you mess up a play, and he’s just like, ‘motherf***er, what are you doing?'"

Everyone in the league wants to compete for a title, but not everybody has what it takes. Not only is every play dissected under a microscope throughout the course of a championship run, but there's a lot of work required behind the scenes that mostly goes unnoticed. Jefferson went on to say that it's all worth it, though:

"But there were cons for playing with Jordan, there were cons for playing with Kobe, there were cons playing with players that were so great that they demanded excellence. There were cons for playing for Pat Riley or Popovich or Spoelstra. There’s always cons when you’re trying to win at the highest level."

The Cavaliers are currently experiencing some of those pressures now, even without LeBron James bringing his own personal spotlight. If he does eventually make another return to Cleveland, they'll find out quickly which of their players are built for the highs and lows of truly competing for a title.