Ranking the 12 best players that LeBron James has played with
By Cal Durrett
LeBron Teammate #3: Kyrie Irving
Having 8-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving appear third on this list of best LeBron teammates seems low, but it’s not without reason. Although Kyrie may arguably be the most talented of LeBron’s many teammates, they played just three seasons together, and Kyrie missed a significant portion of time during that span.
Together, they made three straight Finals, a rare feat, and Irving hit the game-winning shot in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals to clinch the city of Cleveland’s first championship in 50 seasons.
That alone guarantees Kyrie a top-three spot on the list, though had he not gotten injured in the 2015 NBA Finals, he might rank number one.
He later forced his way out of Cleveland, leaving LeBron to carry more of the load without a true number two. Had he stayed, then LeBron might have too, but a season after Kyrie was traded to the Celtics, LeBron signed with the Lakers. Even after an abrupt divorce, there were rumors that LeBron and Kyrie might team up again with the Lakers, but that appears unlikely at the moment.
Even if they never play together in the NBA again, Kyrie did average 22.4 points and 5.3 assists per game and make two all-star teams as his teammate. He also helped LeBron topple a 73-9 team in the Finals and bring the Cavaliers their first championship. Based on that, Kyrie is definitely one of LeBron’s better teammates.