LeBron James Says This Year's Training Camp Was His Worst, Talks of 'Setback'

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar forward LeBron James said Wednesday this year's training camp was likely the worst of his career due to a lingering ankle injury.

James noted the ailment prevented him from building on a strong offseason and also caused him to miss key preparation time with the Cavs' retooled roster.

"This was probably the worst training camp for me in my career because of the injury," he told reporters. "I didn't get an opportunity to do the things that I like to do and with the summer that I had, I kind of had a setback."

The 32-year-old four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and the rest of the Cavaliers are facing scrutiny due to a lackluster 3-4 start to the regular season. James isn't surprised the chemistry is slow to develop after he missed all but one of the team's preseason contests.

"Training camp has always been like my favorite point in the season, it sounds weird, but to be able to get back into it, get the team going, having that camaraderie, getting back on the floor, getting that system back in place," he said. "For me to be in and out and much more out that in and to be able to implement what I do, especially with [eight] new guys, that kind of hurt."

His comments come one day after Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reported Cleveland put together an "air-it-out meeting" ahead of Tuesday's practice. Unsurprisingly, James was a "vocal" part of the proceedings, though "most everyone spoke" during the gathering.

LeBron told reporters Wednesday he was encouraged by the meeting.

It's hard to blame him for the sluggish start, though. He's averaging 24.6 points, 8.6 assists and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 58.6 percent from the field through seven games. ESPN.com noted he ranks fourth in the NBA in Value Added during the 2017-18 season's early going.

That said, it will take time for the Cavs' group of new additions to fit in alongside the 13-time All-Star, and another learning curve can be expected when Isaiah Thomas, the key player in the Kyrie Irving trade, makes his return from injury in the coming months.

While Cleveland could go through some more rough patches during the regular season as a result, it would be a surprise if it isn't a strong contender for the Eastern Conference title come playoff time.