Andre Drummond Gets Honest About LeBron James as His Former Teammate
LeBron James played for three teams in his NBA career, featuring a wide variety of unique rosters and star teammates who have personally witnessed what he’s like as a teammate.
After starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers, King James joined the Miami Heat, where he won multiple championships before returning to the Cavs and winning another. Then he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, his current team, to claim his fourth.
Current Philadelphia 76ers star Andre Drummond was on the Lakers’ roster in 2021 via a one-year contract, when injuries hampered Anthony Davis.
While Drummond was there briefly, he still had enough time to experience what it’s like to have LeBron as a teammate, and he opened up about that during a recent live stream.
More news:Spurs Legend Makes Stunning Victor Wembanyama Prediction Ahead of Finals
Drummond referred to LeBron as “probably one of the smartest” players he’s been in a locker room, calling him “very detail oriented.”
“He knows every team’s scouting report. He knows the other team’s scouting report top to bottom,” he shared.
“I remember one game, I overhelped with somebody in the corner, and he was like, ‘Don’t [expletive] go out there, that man’s shooting 32 percent from 3 go up to the top.’ I said, ‘How the [expletive] do you know what people shoot percentage-wise?'” Drummond told streamer N3ON.
He mentioned that he couldn’t recall which game it happened in, but it made Drummond think differently about his own approach to watching film and studying other teams’ players.
“He knows the analytics top to bottom. Super super smart dude, fun dude to be around. He’s a big kid, man,” Drummond also said.
As of this writing, Drummond is coming off a disappointing exit from the postseason with the 76ers losing to the New York Knicks in a sweep in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. LeBron and the Lakers lost to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals, also via sweep.
However, with Luka Doncic injured, LeBron helped lead his Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round.
Drummond’s remarks are eye-opening, revealing just how seriously King James takes every game and opponent. It speaks to his commitment that he analyzes key scouting report details, such as shooting percentages, to determine who might need more defensive attention beyond the arc.
It’s quite the endorsement from LeBron’s former teammate regarding his basketball intelligence. Now an unrestricted free agent, he could join another team in the coming season, whether with the Los Angeles Lakers, a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, or elsewhere.
More news:Rudy Gobert Gets Honest About Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Reaching NBA Finals
For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 10:32 AM.