4 Former Cavaliers thriving elsewhere to start 2023-24

The most famous former Cavalier in the history of basketball is now the oldest player in the NBA, a fun little fact that should be accompanied by puff pieces about his impact on the locker room and little odes to his cameos on the court in blowouts.

Instead, LeBron James is playing 35 minutes per game for the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that has needed every minute he can give them. James will turn 39 next month and yet is still an unstoppable force and has carried the Lakers to multiple wins. He is averaging 25.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, not to mention over a steal and a block per game; those numbers are unheard of at his age.

Those numbers are also the opposite of empty calories, as the Lakers are depending on each and every one of them. When LeBron is on the court the Lakers play like a 53-win team; when he is off the court they absolutely fall apart on both offense and defense, decreasing by a staggering 38.3 points per 100 possessions — that’s the largest differential in the entire league.

LeBron James refuses to acknowledge the effects of Father Time, and he is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He therefore leads the way for Cavaliers alumni playing well around the league.