"LeBron whisperer" spills on LeBron James' best teammate ever, looks past $175,369,698 champ and Dwyane Wade

LeBron James has played with plenty of great players during his legendary career. ESPN's Brian Windhorst named the best teammate James has ever had, and it wasn't Anthony Davis or Dwyane Wade. Windhorst, who is the so-called "LeBron whisperer," chose Kyrie Irving as the LA Lakers superstar's best teammate ever.

Speaking on a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast, Windhorst discussed Irving's fit with the Dallas Mavericks alongside Cooper Flagg. The ESPN analyst dropped an example by saying that they are compatible because "Uncle Drew" is the most compatible player to "King James."

"In my opinion the best, most compatible teammate LeBron has ever had in Kyrie," Windhorst said, according to Basketball Forever. "There were moments where he and Wade were transcendent, there were moments where he and AD were impossible to deal with. The guy who he played with who best fit his skillset was Kyrie. Because you need a guy who can handle the ball, that is also awesome off the ball."

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving played together for three seasons, reaching the NBA Finals three times and winning one title in 2016. They have been linked to a reunion since Irving requested a trade out of the Brooklyn Nets in 2023.

However, the LA Lakers failed to acquire Irving, who ended up with the Dallas Mavericks. Dwyane Wade and James won two titles with the Miami Heat and made four NBA Finals appearances.

With Anthony Davis, who is in the first year of a $175 million extension, James won just one NBA championship inside the NBA bubble.

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LeBron James named his greatest teammate ever in 2015

LeBron James named his greatest teammate ever in 2015. (Photo: IMAGN)

In terms of talent, Dwyane Wade, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving are all up there as the best teammates LeBron James has ever had. However, "The King" already named his greateast teammate in an interview with ESPN's Dave McMenamin in 2015.

It wasn't about skills for LeBron, but impact, leadership and other intangible qualities. He named James Jones as his greatest teammate ever a decade ago, even before winning his third NBA championship.

"I told J.J., as long as I'm playing, he's going to be around," James said. "He's not allowed to stop playing basketball. So, I'm going to make sure I got a roster spot for him. I love him. He's the greatest teammate I've ever had."

James and Jones won three NBA championships together, two in Miami and one in Cleveland. After retiring in 2017, Jones became an executive for the Phoenix Suns and won the NBA's Executive of the Year award in 2021. He left the Suns this offseason to become the league's executive vice president and head of basketball operations.