LeBron James: ‘Honeymoon Stage Is Over’ For Cavs After Third Straight Loss

The Cleveland Cavaliers started the season like a juggernaut, jumping out to a 13-2 record behind the second-best offense in the NBA.

But after suffering a 111-105 loss in Chicago on Friday, Cleveland has now dropped its last three games, and LeBron James is not happy.

A frustrated LeBron told reporters after the game that the Cavs need to put last season’s championship behind them. “The honeymoon stage is over,” he said.

The Cavs are being outscored by 14.3 points per 100 possessions over those three losses, a margin that would be by far the worst in the League over the course of the season.

More from ESPN:

“We’ve got to get out of the honeymoon stage,” a visibly frustrated LeBron James said after he had a personal 30-game winning streak broken for his teams when he totaled 20-plus points and 10-plus assists. “That’s y’all’s headline for tomorrow. I know y’all going to use it.”

 

“You’ve got to play the game the right way,” James continued. “You’ve got to battle every night like we ain’t won nothing. Last year is last year, and after ring night, it’s over with. Now it’s a new season and everybody is gunning for us every night, and we have to understand that. The honeymoon stage is over, and it’s time to play some real ball and be physical, especially in the trenches. Giving up 78 points is ridiculous. We’ve got to man up. Everybody.”

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