Richard Jefferson didn’t hand out praise lightly when he singled out Matthew Dellavedova from Cleveland’s 2016 championship team. On his show, Jefferson said the hard-nosed guard was the toughest worker on a roster packed with stars and grinders alike.
“I say this as a compliment to your work ethic. I would always say, if you worked 1% less, you wouldn’t be in the NBA.
But you worked harder than anybody on the team, and I would include Bron. I would include Kevin.
Now, he’s psycho. Some of the guys are psycho,” said Jefferson.
“But for how hard you worked with a level of consistency every single day, you were pound-for-pound the hardest worker on the team.”
Dellavedova’s name usually comes up for everything he did that didn’t show up in a box score. He wasn’t built on big scoring nights or flashy numbers.
He built his reputation on hustle, toughness, and the kind of effort that makes teammates notice. That was especially true during the Cavaliers’ run to the 2016 title, when he earned plenty of attention for the way he battled Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals.
Jefferson’s comments fit the image Dellavedova carved out in Cleveland: a player willing to absorb contact, do the dirty work, and keep coming back for more. Dellavedova responded by saying the compliment meant a great deal to him.
“It means a lot, so I appreciate it. You had a lot of teammates, and that’s (work ethic) the only thing I can control,” said the hard-nosed guard, who is currently with the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League.
Dellavedova was also part of a week-long reunion with former Cavaliers teammates in Europe in June, marking the 10th anniversary of the team’s championship.
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