Game respects game. pic.twitter.com/1xmIietb9w
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 9, 2017
It was friends catching up with friends, but when both are decorated Olympians it can be more than that.
"Just recognizing greatness," LeBron James explained to reporters (via cleveland.com) about why he pointed to the fan in the front row, Michael Phelps, after a thunderous fourth-quarter dunk.
Phelps, too, was at Phoenix's Talking Stick Resort Arena for the Cavaliers-Suns game to recognize James' greatness.
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"The great ones always know how to get it done, no matter what sport it is," Phelps told cleveland.com. "You take LeBron, for example. No matter what, even in the fourth, he just gets it done, you know?"
Phelps and James' relationship has developed over Olympics dating to 2004 in Athens, and deepened as James and Team USA took home basketball golds in Beijing and London while Phelps was en route to becoming the most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals, 23 of them gold.
"Hey, know anyone who wears No. 23 on his basketball jersey?" cleveland.com joked.
After Sunday's 120-116 Cavs victory, James (aka No. 23) and fellow gold medalists Kevin Love (2012) and Kyrie Irving (2016) chatted with Phelps.
"You built that relationship as Olympians, so it's always fun to catch up with the boys and watch what they do," Phelps said. "Those guys are always at swim meets, so it's enjoyable for me to come watch the boys."
