'I've seen him up close and personal, he's great' - Phoenix Suns GM James Jones gets candid about former teammate LeBron James

After overcoming the hurdle of the Play-In Tournament, LeBron James and the LA Lakers will now take on the Phoenix Suns in round one of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The LA Lakers are looking to defend their title, which will require them to win at least 16 games.

LeBron James will be coming up against another star veteran and his close friend Chris Paul, who is determined to win his first NBA Championship.

Phoenix Suns GM James Jones praises LeBron James ahead of Round 1 NBA Playoffs battle

Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Phoenix Suns in Round One of the NBA Playoffs tonight

ESPN's Dave McMenamin recently caught up with Phoenix Suns GM James Jones, who shared the court with LA Lakers talisman LeBron James during his playing career.

Jones shared his admiration for his former teammate :

"I mean, LeBron's the greatest. He's the best player in the league. I'm biased. I know him. I've seen him up close and personal. He's great. There's no other way to describe him and he's the ultimate competitor.

James Jones played alongside LeBron James for seven seasons, all of which ended in the duo reaching the NBA Finals. Jones played with James at both the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the two share a great rapport.

New story: The Suns won just 21 games the season before James Jones was elevated to GM. This season, in his 2nd year at the helm, they lost just 21 games. Jones caught up with ESPN on his team’s ascent, his philosophy on winning and the showdown w/ LeBron https://t.co/gHKPqkEpU5

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 23, 2021

Continuing the conversation, Jones revealed what it takes to win an NBA Championship:

"You have to beat really good players and really good teams to do what you want to do -- do what we want to do, do what I want to do, which is win a title."

Jones' Phoenix Suns take on LeBron James' LA Lakers tonight at the Phoenix Suns Arena. The Suns had an impressive regular season, which saw them finish second in the West. The Lakers were forced to navigate a harder route, as they had to play an extra game against the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In tournament.

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Game 1. #LakeShow ⏰: 12:30 p.m. PT📺: ABC📻: ESPN 710 & 1330 KWKWhttps://t.co/AxoqUFDJdQ

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 23, 2021

The LA Lakers had a turbulent campaign as a result of injuries to Lebron James and Anthony Davis. James missed more than a month of basketball action due to a high ankle injury.

King James made a comeback on the court at the tail end of the regular season, putting in some solid performances to take the LA Lakers over the line. Next on his agenda will be leading his team to a series win against the Phoenix Suns, who have qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2010.

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