LeBron James has spent exactly half of his NBA career (11 seasons) with the Cleveland Cavaliers across two different spells.
James was drafted by the Cavaliers with the first overall pick in 2003 and played for them for seven years before leaving to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat.
After four seasons with the Heat, winning two championships (2012 and 2013), he then returned to Cleveland for four more years.
Mo Williams played alongside LeBron in both spells, and he explained the key differences between him before and after his time in Miami.
Photo by Nick Laham/Getty ImagesMo Williams shares how LeBron James changed before and after Miami Heat
Williams recently spoke with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green about what it was like being LeBron James’ teammate.
The former Cavalier shared that James was more “dialed in” with his routine in his second spell in Cleveland than in his first.
“Maturity. All the little things,” Williams said. “The first time I was there, he did all the things he was doing when he got back, but he was doing it better and more precisely [the second time]. He had it dialled in.
“When they talk about him taking care of his body, he was doing that the first time, but when I got with him the second time, it was like clockwork.
“You know what time he’s going to get to the game. You know he’s going to be at shootaround when we get there. You know he’s going to be at the gym before the first bus gets there. You know when he’s getting a massage.
“I still remember that routine because I saw it so much every single day. That was the difference I saw. And obviously, that translated to the court, just off him playing games and getting older, and just being one of the greatest players.
Williams also thinks that James returned to Cleveland as a much better shooter than when he left for Miami.
“His game just matured, and everything got better,” he added. “He shot the ball a whole lot better. I think that’s one of the biggest things that… that part of his game obviously kept growing.
“The decision-making was sharper, understanding the spots where you can get a bucket when he wanted to. I think he’s always had a great feel for the game.”
Mo Williams was LeBron James’ second All-Star teammate
Mo Williams became LeBron James’ second-ever All-Star teammate after Zydrunas Ilgauskas with the Cavaliers.
Williams averaged 17.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the 2008-09 season, and missed just one out of 82 games.
Shooting almost 44 per cent from the three-point line, he was pretty much the perfect fit to play alongside one of the greatest playmakers ever.
If only the Cavs had Williams on the roster in 2007, perhaps they would have performed better against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.