Playing alongside NBA superstar LeBron James can be a taxing and gruelling experience, just ask his former teammates.
Over an illustrious 22-year career, James has put together a phenomenal resume that includes almost every major award in the book. Aside from his four rings, the Ohio native is a four-time MVP, a 13-time All-NBA first-team selection, a five-time All-Defensive first-team selection, and has been named to the All-Star team on 21 occasions.
The Los Angeles Lakers forward set a high standard for himself and his teammates from day one, and it sometimes took a heavy toll on those around him.
Former NBA Player Iman Shumpert Speaks Out on the ‘Pressure’ of Playing Alongside James
This week, Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye spoke on the Road Trippin’ podcast about the challenges of playing alongside James, with the former going as far as to say, “playing with LeBron sucks.”
Speaking on ESPN’s NBA Today, Shumpert echoed Jefferson’s statement, confirming that playing with James was no picnic.
“To give it context, the statement, yes, it does suck … There’s a ridiculous amount of pressure that comes with it because you have to be in a win-now mindset every time you play on his team … He is always expected to be at the top of the league,” said Shumpert.
“To give it context, the statement, yes, it does suck…there’s a ridiculous amount of pressure that comes with it because you have to be in a win-now mindset every time you play on his team. He is always expected to be at the top of the league” – @imanshumpert https://t.co/rzGZ1iUU5y pic.twitter.com/c6vsmPbDqW
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) July 19, 2025
Shumpert went on to say that players were expected to sacrifice for the greater good of the team because playing in a LeBron-led squad meant that the NBA title was the goal every season.
“You have to be able to say now in this time that I am playing with LeBron, can I sacrifice? If I was scoring 20 a game somewhere else, now it needs to be 12.” Shumpert added. “It sucks when you are going through that. Because that’s a mental battle for any player.”
James’ tireless work ethic, persistence, and competitive spirit may have, at times, frustrated some of his teammates, but they’re also the reason the 40-year-old remains one of the most dominant players in the NBA.
Last season, James completed his 22nd season in the NBA, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists; he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Jefferson called the 40-year-old “one of the most competitive human beings in the history of American sports.”
“James plays basketball to win championships and to be the greatest player ever,” added Frye, who also discussed how difficult it was to keep up with the forward.
Shumpert, Jefferson, and Frye (along with James) were all members of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers championship team, and the three former NBA players look back on their time with “King James” fondly. But that doesn’t mean that the journey was easy.
