Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and his work ethic has helped him play 23 seasons in the best basketball league in the world.
Recently, two of his former teammates – Richard Jefferson and Tristan Thompson – sat down for a conversation, and they talked about James’ incredible work ethic.
“Being the ultimate pro,” Thompson said when asked about what he learned about professionalism from being around James. “Getting in early, take your craft serious and not cheating the system.”
Jefferson then mentioned that people “don’t know” how hard James actually works, which Thompson echoed.
“It’s really absurd,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson and Thompson both played with James during his second stint with the Cavs, and they all won a title together in the 2016 NBA Finals. Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit in that series to beat the Golden State Warriors, who had won 73 games in the 2015-16 regular season.
James has a boatload of accolades in his career, as he’s made 22 All-Star teams, 21 All-NBA teams and has four league MVPs. In the playoffs, he’s made the NBA Finals 10 times and won four titles, earning Finals MVP honors in each of those wins.
The most recent win in the Finals for James came in the 2019-20 season with the Lakers, but he has not made it back to the championship series since. The 41-year-old still has something left in the tank, as he proved in the 2025-26 season that he’s still one of the best players in the game.
During the regular season, James appeared in 60 games even though sciatica cost him a bunch of time at the start of the campaign. He finished the regular season averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from 3.
Then, in the playoffs, James took on an even bigger role with Luka Doncic (hamstring) out and Austin Reaves (oblique) missing the start of the postseason. James led the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs and averaged 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists across 10 total playoff games.
It’s pretty amazing to see James’ old teammates revere his work ethic, and that drive is likely why the former No. 1 overall pick is still in the league even though he was drafted all the way back in 2003.
Hopefully, James will return for the 2026-27 season to add to his incredible legacy and potentially chase another title.
