LeBron James is playing 'NBA 2K18' to prepare for Isaiah Thomas

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James is admittedly playing the video game "NBA 2K18" to prepare for injured point guard Isaiah Thomas’ return. According to James, the game is so realistic that it helps him mix and match line-ups which could be used in the real sport.

James isn't the first player to speak of the benefits of the simulated experience. “I play a lot of NBA 2K. It’s the most realistic basketball game you could ever play. I mix and match a lot of line-up changes and things of that nature to see how we can be really good. I’ve done that,” James told Cleveland.com recently.

The Cavaliers, on a 13-game winning streak, are hoping to get former Boston Celtics star Thomas into the starting unit before the end of 2017. Thomas, who arrived in Cleveland via trade in September, has been rehabilitating from a hip injury through most of the summer.

"The Cavaliers are hopeful that All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, the key player in the Kyrie Irving trade to Boston, could be back at some point in December. Thomas has been increasing the progression and intensity of his rehabilitation and workouts. He has been trying to return from a hip injury that ended his season prematurely in the Eastern Conference finals last spring," ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski wrote in a recent report.

Entering a contract year, there is a ton of uncertainty surrounding Thomas' future with the Cavaliers. The undersized point guard went down with injury during the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in May. Despite being undervalued by general managers due to the nature of his injury, Thomas is confident he will return to MVP form upon his comeback.

The 28-year-old Isaiah Thomas averaged a career-high tally of 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game last season. The All-Star point guard led the Celtics to No. 1 seed in the conference and eventually finished fifth in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting. Stay tuned for the latest news on "NBA 2K18."