LeBron James told reporters after the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Portland Trail Blazers that the team needs to pass and defend better in order to get where they want to be.
The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t where they want to be nor are they where fans expected them to be even at the early stages of this NBA season. That doesn’t phase veteran LeBron James though, who watched as point guard Kyrie Irving and other young players floundered while hogging the ball and straying from a team game in a 101-82 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. James stressed the team element when discussing how the Cavs can pick themselves up.
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“We have to do multiple things in order to win,” James said via the Akron Beacon Journal. “We have to share the ball, we have to play defense, we have to sacrifice in order to ultimately win.”
The article pointed to the team’s last possession of the first half, in which Irving dribbled around for nearly 15 seconds before hoisting up a failed shot attempt while James hardly moved from his perch along the 3-point line. In the past, we might have assumed that was LeBron being lazy, but we know better. James is the veteran leader on this team now and he was likely trying to prove a point. Play a team game or the team won’t play with you.
“There has been a lot of losing basketball around here for a few years,” James added. “A lot of guys who are going to help us win ultimately haven’t played a lot of meaningful basketball games in our league. When we get to that point where every possession matters, no possessions off, we have to share the ball, move the ball and be a team and be unselfish, we’ll be a better team.”
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