OAKLAND, Calif. - Before the Cleveland Cavaliers lost Kyrie Irving for the season, before they were a couple of missed shots away from stealing Game 1, LeBron James prophesied to his teammates about the obstacles that would await them in the NBA Finals.

Northeast Ohio Media Group learned that James gathered the team together at their hotel, the Four Seasons in downtown San Francisco, in advance of Thursday's game.

I'm told he rented out a lounge, and what he would tell them there ended up being spot on.

The four-time MVP spoke of the unforeseen trials they would face, he touched on the adversity that would come with the territory, and he warned them of unexpected setbacks. In it all, his message was to stay the course. But most importantly, stay together regardless of the circumstances.

"He was like, we're here for business and to be prepared," center Tristan Thompson said to NEOMG. "All the media attention, all the hoopla stuff is cool and what not, but we're here to take care of business."

After two games of this grueling, mind-blowing series with the Golden State Warriors, his teammates have now experienced exactly what James was preaching. Every aspect of his message has come to be. Irving's season-ending knee injury turned out to be the unexpected setback.

When James concluded his address, he shifted the tone of the meeting to a looser, more casual setting. He arranged for food, music was blasting and he even brought in a barber for players to get haircuts.

The team relaxed and talked about family, the news and just life in general. This was his way of easing any pre-Finals tension they might have had.

"It was for unity. Building camaraderie with the guys," J.R. Smith explained to NEOMG. "A lot of times when you go into the hotels, you might see a guy for breakfast or a meeting and that would be it. He brought us out and we talked about regular, everyday stuff instead of just the Finals."

That togetherness, that bond that they have manifests itself on the court. The overtime victory in Game 2 was emotion-filled and completely draining. Cleveland dug deep down to split the series and claim home-court advantage.

If done right, team outings strengthen the union. They build trust and confidence. James is a firm believer that if you can get along off the court, you will see better chemistry on the court.

"'Bron is the best teammate you can ask for, because on the court he's going to give you everything and off the court he's always going to be considerate and do whatever he can to show his gratitude," James Jones said.

But before they went their separate ways that night of the meeting, James had another surprise. He gave them all brand new Apple watches.

It was another way of displaying his appreciation for his guys.

"I've been fortunate enough to work with some great partners and whatever I get, I like to share with my teammates," James told NEOMG. "It's just my way of showing them that I care. That's it. It's not the first time and it won't be the last time."

No one was more excited about their gift than Smith. He has a player option for next year, and it sounds as if James' giving spirit could play a part in his decision-making process.

"I don't know how he does it, but every day it's something different," Smith said with a laugh. "Watches, sneakers, Beats [headphones], hoodies, book-bags. Man, I can't wait to come back next year. I want to see what we're getting next year."

Brendan Haywood also issued a comment on James' kindness by offering a unique compliment.

"Look, LeBron is probably the greatest player in the world who gives out gifts like it's candy," he said. "We look forward to it every single time."

When the star player genuinely cares about his teammates' well-being, the rest of the troops follow his lead, knowing he has their best interests at heart. They see James playing 50 minutes and giving it everything that he has, and in return, they're doing the same.

Talent-wise, the depleted Cavaliers shouldn't be in this series. Golden State is too deep, but Cleveland is too deep with resilience, heart and cohesion.

Those qualities alone will make the Warriors work. No one knows if Cleveland has what it takes to garner three more wins, but James is doing everything in his power on and off the court to ensure his team has the proper mindset going into each game.

"He's one hell of a teammate," Thompson said. "He takes care of his team. He takes care of us with Beats, Samsungs. Everything that he's part of that he can give for the team, he's done that all the time and it shows how much he cares for us."

UPDATE: A rep for LeBron James says Beats, who he has been with since its inception and was later acquired by Apple, provided the watches as a gift to the Cavaliers. James, we're being told, personally handed out Samsung Galaxy Edge phones at the meeting.