LeBron James had to pick up his teammates’ dirty laundry, and he’s not happy about it

LeBron James is a three-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP.

He is also the Cavaliers’ savior, leaving his comfortable and prosperous life in Miami with the Heat to return to Cleveland and lead the team to its first NBA title last season.

So what was he doing picking up bags of his teammates’ dirty laundry from the locker room floor Saturday night following a preseason win over Philadelphia at Quicken Loans Arena?

That’s not clear, but rest assured King James is not going to let it happen again.

“Hopefully, I only have to say something once,” James told reporters that night. “Can’t leave the locker room like that.”

According to cleveland.com, James has been a longtime advocate for respecting locker room attendants. A Sports Illustrated feature from December paints a similar picture of the superstar, describing a time earlier in the season when other players left their dirty laundry all over the locker room following a shootaround James was too sick to attend.

After practice the next day, the magazine stated, Cavaliers equipment manager Mark Cashman “tore into the team, [and] James provided a graphic exclamation point.” The same article describes the scene following a canceled game during James’ rookie year.

While other players “flung jerseys and shorts in Cashman’s direction,” James folded his and handed them to the equipment manager. “I didn’t have a lot growing up,” he told Cashman at the time. “I have to take care of it.”

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii