Report: LeBron James was scolded by Cavs brass for ‘yukking it up’ with Dwyane Wade

Last season was one of constant change for the Cleveland Cavaliers. An active offseason of blockbuster trades and free agent signings led to a dramatically different roster from the season before, and a slew of trades prior to the trade deadline caused even more upheaval.

One of the players that called Cleveland home for just a few months as a result of the roster changes was future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade.

According to a report by Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Wade and LeBron James’ close friendship became something of a distraction during the Cavs’ early-season struggles last year.

“LeBron unfollowed the Cavs on social media and was scolded by Lue and then-general manager David Griffin for yukking it up at halftime with Dwyane Wade while the Cavs were getting crushed,” Vardon wrote. “Lue needed to set Love straight, again, telling him he was too good not to demand the ball in the post.”

While teams led by veterans with championship pedigrees are often highly successful, it seems the two stars, who have six NBA championships between them, served as the biggest locker room distractions at times.

When Wade was eventually traded to the Miami Heat as part of the the Cavs’ trade deadline moves, many assumed it was because the Heat wanted to bring the former face of their franchise home for the twilight of his career. Given this report, however, it seems just as likely that the Cavs were looking to dump Wade because of his attitude.

Now, times are quite different in Cleveland and it seems it will be quite some time before the Cavs enjoy a star-studded roster like they did last season.

That doesn’t mean the Cavs are far from success, however. Since returning from the All-Star break, the Cavs have a record of 5-5. While it won’t turn any heads, it’s a marked improvement compared to the long string of losses they endured earlier this season.