LeBron James Calls James Jones “Nostradamus of Our Team”

LeBron James is two wins away from reaching his seventh consecutive NBA Finals.

Alongside him is the wise veteran James Jones, who LeBron called “the Nostradamus of our team,” during Tuesday morning’s shootaround media availability.

“He’s seen it all and been through it all,” LeBron said.

“He’s played it in and watched it unfold. His knowledge about the game because he’s been around it so much, he’s huge for our team and it’s been a treat to be with him for seven years.”

@KingJames calls James Jones AKA 'Champ' the "Nostradamas of our team" pic.twitter.com/VRM7I3DRvr

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) May 23, 2017

Jones has been credited by teammates before, like when Kevin Love called him “the best teammate I’ve ever had,” after winning the 2016 Finals, but most of the veteran’s meaningful contributions go relatively unnoticed with little fanfare from the outside world.

The 36-year-old has three rings and although he doesn’t see much playing time, his voice in the locker room is respected by everyone on the roster and it’s times like these where his wisdom could come in particularly useful.

After an embarrassing loss in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at home, in which LeBron scored 11 points and the Cavs blew a 21-point second half lead, the team can lean on the experience of its veteran leaders with multiple championships – LeBron and Jones.

When asked why Jones is looked upon so highly by his teammates, LeBron gave an interesting answer.

“Guys all lead by different ways. In Champ and Dahntay (Jones’) case, they lead different ways. I think Champ’s knowledge and where he’s been in his career, people gravitate to him because he’s seen it all,” James said.

“He’s a good person if you need someone to talk to, he’s always there for you.”

After going through a rough Game 3, having a steady leader like Jones could prove valuable for how the team bounces back in Game 4.

Even if he doesn’t see minutes on the court, don’t underestimate the importance of what Jones can provide to the team, beyond the X’s and O’s or stats.