Ranking the 12 best players that LeBron James has played with
By Cal Durrett
LeBron Teammate #5: Kevin Love
When LeBron returned to the Cavaliers after spending four years in Miami, one of Cleveland’s first moves was to trade for Kevin Love. At the time, Love was a big-time player known for his shooting, rebounding, and passing with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But once he was traded to the Cavs, he was forced to take on a different role as the third star in a big three.
Despite his numbers dropping, he was still a key member of four NBA Finals teams, something that very few NBA players can say. In fact, while he was known as a bad defender during his time as a Cavalier, he secured them a championship in 2016 by locking up Steph Curry in the Warriors’ final offensive position in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Who saw that coming?
Over four seasons as LeBron’s teammate, Love averaged an impressive 17.1 points, 10 rebounds, and shot 37.7% on 5.7 3-point attempts per game. He also made two all-star teams during that span. Overall, while Love wasn’t the same player he was with the Timberwolves, he still proved to be a valuable player on four Finals teams and helped LeBron bring a championship to Cleveland.