The Cleveland Cavaliers veteran presence has been a big reason why the team has been so successful in the first half of the 2017-18 season.

Despite trailing by double digits throughout Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cavaliers came back and even took the lead. Two of the biggest reasons for that was the play of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and James compared the duo is former San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Clever as always, @KingJames likens himself and @DwyaneWade to a famous former quarterback duo when asked about their leadership. #AllForOne pic.twitter.com/dIJXWi6l1C — FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) December 20, 2017

It's certainly a reference that makes a ton of sense. Young replaced Montana and the 49ers didn't miss a beat. The Cleveland first and second units definitely can operate in the very same fashion.

James credits Wade with being a great leader and keeping the second unit churning along. In Tuesday's 119-116 loss, Wade scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting and was the team's most productive reserve without question. It also didn't hurt that James paced the starting group with 39 points, which allowed the Cavaliers to make their comeback and nearly pull off the win.

Wade is arguably the most important offseason addition for the Cavaliers even with the acquisition of Isaiah Thomas from the Boston Celtics. Wade is a proven veteran that has accepted his secondary role and ran with it ever since. If he continues to play at a high level, this could be a very special season for the Cavaliers.