LeBron James admitted he failed a special teammate -“I wanted to ultimately.. here’s full details
Before LeBron James became the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team relied primarily on the versatility of the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian skyscraper Zydrunas Ilgauskas. For six consecutive years, Cleveland fans rooted for Ilgauskas to make the Cavs great again, but the lack of extra firepower made it impossible for “Big Z” to help the team win games. In 2003, James arrived, and the Cavs thought they had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. But for Ilgauskas, he didn’t only find hope. He also found a true friend.
A special friendship
Having grown tired of losing, Ilgauskas said he “saw a ray of sunlight” in James and was convinced that the Cavs could finally accomplish something with the help of a teenage phenom.
LeBron James admitted he failed a special teammate -“I wanted to ultimately.. here’s full details
“I thought if this kid can really turn into something we can move this needle finally and go forward,” Ilgauskas said of James in 2014 via Cleveland.com.
READ MORE:Lakers Media Day: LeBron James Reiterates Commitment To.. here’s full details
While Ilgauskas acknowledged the fact that an “African American kid from inner city Akron and an Eastern European not even from this country” epitomized “all the cultural differences,” he still felt comfortable with James, and he considered the youngster a friend from the get-go. Apparently, LeBron felt the same way too.
“He meant everything to me,” James said of Ilgauskas. “When you come in as a rookie you try to find a leader, that veteran, that guy who’s been around to learn the ropes from. He taught me how to be a professional on and off the floor.
That’s something you cannot ever take for granted. He was everything to me…From Day One, I knew he was going to be a guy I would always be with.”
LeBron James admitted he failed a special teammate -“I wanted to ultimately.. here’s full details
Before LeBron James became the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team relied primarily on the versatility of the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian skyscraper Zydrunas Ilgauskas. For six consecutive years, Cleveland fans rooted for Ilgauskas to make the Cavs great again, but the lack of extra firepower made it impossible for “Big Z” to help the team win games. In 2003, James arrived, and the Cavs thought they had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. But for Ilgauskas, he didn’t only find hope. He also found a true friend.
A special friendship
Having grown tired of losing, Ilgauskas said he “saw a ray of sunlight” in James and was convinced that the Cavs could finally accomplish something with the help of a teenage phenom.
LeBron James admitted he failed a special teammate -“I wanted to ultimately.. here’s full details
“I thought if this kid can really turn into something we can move this needle finally and go forward,” Ilgauskas said of James in 2014 via Cleveland.com.
READ MORE:Lakers Media Day: LeBron James Reiterates Commitment To.. here’s full details
While Ilgauskas acknowledged the fact that an “African American kid from inner city Akron and an Eastern European not even from this country” epitomized “all the cultural differences,” he still felt comfortable with James, and he considered the youngster a friend from the get-go. Apparently, LeBron felt the same way too.
“He meant everything to me,” James said of Ilgauskas. “When you come in as a rookie you try to find a leader, that veteran, that guy who’s been around to learn the ropes from. He taught me how to be a professional on and off the floor.
That’s something you cannot ever take for granted. He was everything to me…From Day One, I knew he was going to be a guy I would always be with.”
