LeBron James says he has only three close friends in NBA

Before the start of the season, it appeared Cleveland Cavaliers stars LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were poised to be the NBA’s best dynamic trio.

Although they have transformed the Cavaliers into one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, the level of camaraderie among the three has been lacking.

Love said last week that he and James were “not best friends.” In February, James admitted he was thinking of Love when he tweeted: “Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be a part of something special!”

On Monday, James indicated there isn’t anyone on the Cavaliers he would consider a best friend. He said only Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade are his close friends among NBA players.

“People get so infatuated with the best of friends, things of that nature,” James told Cleveland.com. “First of all, I’ve got three very good friends in this league, and that’s Carmelo, and that’s C.P., and that’s D-Wade.”

“And after that I have a bunch of teammates. I have guys I ride for every day.”

For James, team success doesn’t mean having to be friends with teammates. James said being united toward a common goal is a vital part of the team equation.

“Friends or no friends, at the end of the day we’re all here to do one thing, and that’s to win,” he said.

Irving said he doesn’t always agree with the four-time NBA most valuable player but believes a variety of viewpoints is important for team growth.

“I don’t want to say it’s not been rocky at all,” Irving said of his relationship with James. “Obviously, he sees the game one way. I see the game another way. What makes it great about being on the team is that we both can see it together in our own way.

“I feel like that’s the biggest thing we’ve built is we’re starting to trust one another more. It took time.”