James Jones Is The Ultimate Teammate

James Jones may go unnoticed by some fans, but he has proven to have a positive impact for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Players such as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving played a monumental role in the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Championship run on the court, but no player made a bigger impact off the court than James Jones.

Jones, 35, joined the Cavaliers during the summer of 2014 after accompanying LeBron and the Miami Heat in four straight NBA Finals appearances, including two championship victories in 2012 and 2013.

When it was announced Jones signed with Cleveland, it seemed as if he was riding the coattails of the greatest player on the planet; as it turns out, “Champ” has been a mentor for many young Cavaliers.

One of these players is none other than Kevin Love. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Love shared that Jones has helped him in multiple facets of his game, including what it takes to win, and most importantly, putting the team first.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHHvqrwA28h/?taken-by=kevinlove

When Love was traded to Cleveland during the summer of 2014, it was clear the transition would be tough. He came from a Minnesota Timberwolves team that has not made the playoffs since the 2003-04 campaign to a Cavaliers team that was newly equipped with The King, and an instant championship contender.

Going from being the go-to guy with the Timberwolves to, on many nights, the Cavaliers’ third option had it’s ups and downs for Love. Whether it was not being in the team’s post game pictures or cryptic tweets from LeBron that seemed to be focused on Love, things were not going smoothly for the 27-year-old, to say the least. But James Jones was there.

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Having been to the NBA Finals four consecutive times before becoming Love’s teammate in Cleveland, Jones knew what it would take to get Love comfortable in his new role.

“No one can avoid the ups and downs of the Playoffs, and when many wrote me off after a tough stretch in the Finals… you and the team stuck by me allowing me to flourish and make plays when it mattered most,” Love said in his post. “Like you told me not too long ago, ‘don’t be afraid to be yourself.’ And now I’ll never be — thanks for everything. Keep being you Champ.”

Love isn’t the only player on the Cavaliers that has benefited from Jones’ presence. In his speech during the Cavaliers championship parade in Cleveland, LeBron said that Jones is the “most professional guy on our team.”

LeBron addresses Jones around the 3:06 mark (NSFW)

This wasn’t the first time LeBron had kind things to say about Jones. During December of 2015, LeBron told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that Jones is his “favorite player of all-time.”

“I told J.J., as long as I’m playing, he’s going to be around,” James said, via McMenamin. “He’s not allowed to stop playing basketball. So, I’m going to make sure I got a roster spot for him. I love him. He’s the greatest teammate I’ve ever had.”

Despite not seeing the court time he was accustomed to in Miami, averaging just 9.6 minutes in 48 games during the 2014-15 season, Jones inspired his teammates throughout the playoffs by making a secret motivational 16-piece puzzle in the shape of the Larry O’Brien trophy.

“We needed something to bring us together,” Jones told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “Every guy was a piece. We assembled this team. So we had to assemble the puzzle.”

The puzzle is one of many things James has contributed to this Cavaliers team. Without him, Love would have had a more difficult time transitioning to his new role, and the Cavaliers wouldn’t have a championship presence to go to outside of LeBron James.

It might be a stretch to say the Cavaliers wouldn’t have won a Championship without Jones, but it is fair to say he played a huge role for the team, and is deserving the praise of his teammates.