Richard Jefferson was a key piece of the Cleveland Cavaliers in their 2016 NBA Finals run. However, the Cavs waived him just after his second season, exposing a brutal part of NBA business. Jefferson recently revisited what he said was LeBron James' decision.

In the latest episode of The Richard Show, Jefferson sat down with his former championship teammate J.R. Smith. He hilariously blamed LeBron for getting him waived by the Cavs to bring in Dwyane Wade.

"Look, when I got traded, or LeBron waived me... it was between one of his favorite teammates and one of his best friends," Jefferson said, cracking up Smith.

"It was like when D-Wade got bought out, and he came. I’m looking around, I’m like, 'there’s a roster problem here.' and they’re like, 'Yeah, Richard, we know.'" added Smith.

The Cavs acquired Jefferson in 2015 as the team reached the NBA Finals for the second time in two years. He was a crucial piece in Cleveland's historic championship comeback in 2016.

He played one more year with the team before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks. LeBron has been known to influence roster move decisions.

The Cavs acquired D-Wade, who had negotiated a buyout with the Chicago Bulls. However, his stint with the Cavs was very short. He joined the Miami Heat that season, where he eventually retired.

For Jefferson, the Hawks traded him shortly after the acquisition. He played one more year in the league with the Denver Nuggets. In 2018, he announced his retirement.

Richard Jefferson plays start, bench, and cut versions of LeBron James

One of the most difficult decisions to make in the NBA on any given day is to choose peak LeBron James.

The four-time NBA champion was a dominant force in the league for a decade. James' peak, however, is largely considered from the Miami Heat to his second stint with the Cavs.

During the same episode, Jefferson asked Smith to start, bench, and cut LeBron's version from 2016, 2018, and 2020. Smith cut the 2020 version.

"Yeah, 2020 Bron was trash. He was hot garbage," he quipped.

Smith benched the 2018 version of James and picked the 2016 version to start. Smith was on James' side in all three years, including the 2020 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jefferson, Smith, LeBron, Kevin Love, and Channing Frye recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 2016 NBA championship. The Cavs are the only team in NBA history to have come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.

Which version of LeBron are you picking? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi