There are plenty of pros and cons to playing alongside LeBron James. It’s something Kevin Love knows all too well and the newly-acquired Isaiah Thomas will learn soon enough.
Some of the drawbacks include being the target of his signature passive-aggressive jabs delivered via highly-public venues, while the obvious advantages, of course, include annual trips to the NBA Finals and rockstar treatment at every stop along the way.
Another perk apparently includes getting laced up with classic retro Nike kicks. At media day on Monday, both Love and Thomas showed up sporting the LeBron 1s, in an homage to the first signature shoe from Nike he debuted after signing a historic contract with the sports apparel giant prior to his rookie season.
Nice kicks @kevinlove 👀 pic.twitter.com/Q1XY6cKocy
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) September 25, 2017
Isaiah Thomas rocking the LeBron 1's at his first #CavsMediaDay. pic.twitter.com/tKwVNat4N8
— clevelanddotcom Cavs (@PDcavsinsider) September 25, 2017
Even if it feels like the equivalent of kissing the ring of a mafia don, i.e. somehow both a privilege and a means of supplicating oneself, it’s also ostensibly a show of solidarity among the Cavs’ revamped Big 3 which, as always, has some pretty lofty goals going into the season.
LeBron being who he is, he was subject to all sorts of inquiries at Monday’s media extravaganza, including questions about Dwyane Wade’s potential future with the Cavs, the NBA’s ongoing war or words with Donald Trump, and, of course, the unavoidable questions about former running mate Kyrie Irving. And as usual, he managed to handle it all like a pro.
