Throughout his 23-year career, LeBron James has had memorable partnerships with several players. But according to James' agent and friend, Rich Paul, nobody comes close to his partnership with a Cavaliers player who currently wears the Mavericks jersey.

During an episode of the Game Over podcast, Paul picked James' former Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving as his all-time best partner. The choice might raise a few eyebrows, given that James and Dwyane Wade won two championships together with the Miami Heat. 

However, an X update from Polymarket Hoops displayed Paul justifying his opinion, saying, “You can’t find a better combination of those two guys… LeBron and D Wade was incredible, but when you have a 1/3 P&R, and it’s Kyrie and LeBron?” 

Paul mentioned how head coach Tyronn Lue utilized Irving as a screener. This meant setting up an action where a forward and a point guard ran the play together.

This specific pick-and-roll action became nearly impossible for opposing teams to defend. Paul added that he watched Irving make “every type of shot” on the floor.

James and Irving secured the 2016 NBA championship together. They pulled off a historic comeback against the Golden State Warriors. The duo also reached three straight Finals from 2015 to 2017.

The Heat era with Wade featured 4 straight Finals appearances and two championships. Wade was a premier finisher in his prime, but he was further along in his career. 

Paul never diminished Wade’s greatness during the podcast discussion. He argued that the offensive chemistry and fit reached a different level later in Ohio. 

Possible reasons why Rich Paul picked Kyrie Irving as LeBron James' best partner over Dwyane Wade

Paul witnessed both championship eras firsthand. He had a front-row seat for James' time in the Heat dynasty and the Cavaliers' title run. Because he lived through those moments, his POV certainly carries weight.

James and Wade's play depended on physical attacks on the rim. Meanwhile, James and Irving won a historic championship by utilizing floor spacing.

Irving also averaged better Finals scoring numbers alongside his superstar teammate, posting 27.7 points compared to the 21.1 points Wade averaged in the Finals. 

Irving made a trade request in 2017 amid reports that he wanted his own team and felt tired of playing in a shadow. Despite that ending, James and Irving have repaired their relationship in recent years. 

Irving praised his former teammates openly and showed a new level of maturity. At the same time, James has consistently called his former point guard one of the most gifted players to ever touch a basketball. He has even mentioned that he misses playing with him.

Do you agree with this take on the best offensive fit, or do you value the dominant era in Miami more?

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy