Ex-Cavaliers guard sets record straight on infamous LeBron James ‘diss’ interview after Cleveland draft: “I was defending him”

Back in the early 2000s, a teenager named LeBron James got analysts buzzing as they envisioned what the high school phenom could do in the NBA. It would seem, however, that not every player in the league was buying into the hype — including Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Miles.

In an interview with a local news channel around the time of the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery, Miles appeared to downplay the potential of the presumptive number one pick.

“I don’t think you can really just bring a high school player in and really just think your team’s gonna turn around like that,” Miles said in the interview. [Timestamp – 1:26]

Trending

More than two decades later, Miles clarified his true intent behind these comments. Speaking to Stephen Jackson on "All the Smoke," the nine-year NBA pro explained that he was actually looking out for James' best interest.

"What really happened was, I was defending LeBron," Miles said. "There's never been a guy that you put that much expectations on, to just give a franchise to and just say, he finna turn it around immediately."

Miles, who also came out of high school straight into the NBA, emphasized that he'd already had a relationship with LBJ. According to Miles, James used to come over to his house even before entering the league. Miles also relayed that he himself had spent Thanksgiving with James the same year that the King was drafted.

"This is mg guy, you know what I'm sayin'? His locker got specifically put next to mine because we have that relationship."

Miles added that he and James wouldn't have formed a close bond had James felt a certain type of way about his comments in the TV interview.

Ex-Cavaliers guard reveals gesture done out of friendship with LeBron James: "I need to be a part of this"

In the same "All the Smoke" appearance, Miles talked about an unconventional move that he made out of his friendship with James, who'd become his teammate after getting drafted first overall in 2003.

"I played Summer League strictly because LeBron came to play," Miles revealed. "Four years into the league...I shouldn't have been playing in that Summer League...it was, like, s***, I need to be a part of this, y'all." [Timestamp - 34:59]

Miles went on to play a season and a half alongside James before getting traded to the Portland Trail Blazers midway through the 2003-04 season.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

Simoun Victor Redoblado

Simoun Victor Redoblado is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over 12 years of experience writing for publications such as Collider, ALL-STAR Magazine, and Sir Charles in Charge.

Simoun has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, Major in English and Minor in journalism. Thanks to the journalism courses that he took, Simoun understood the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling in the context of sports writing.

Passionate for the UP Fighting Maroons, Simoun is a fan of the NBA, PBA, UAAP, and FIBA.
His childhood team was the Chicago Bulls and Simoun was a longtime supporter of the Houston Rockets because his friends would say he looked like Yao Ming.

Simoun loves the systematic, tactical movement of the ball and the players, the stories behind each individual competing on the hardcourt and most of all, how basketball is a sport for life and all its struggles and lessons.

A father of two, Simoun spends his free time with his kids.

Know More