LeBron James shoots down idea of playoff play-in games

For the second time this season, LeBron James has shot down suggestions when it comes to changing the NBA Playoff format.

Per ESPN, there has been some league discussion that would involve play-in games for the No. 7 and No. 8 spots in each conference tournament. The seventh seed in each conference would host the eighth seed with the winner getting the seventh spot, while the ninth seed would host the 10th. The winner of that game would then play the loser of the 7-8 game for the final spot in each of the conference playoffs.

Naturally, anytime changes like this are even rumored, LeBron James is asked about them. At Cavaliers shootaround this morning, he made it known that he was not a fan of this idea.

“That’s wack,” James said. “That’s wack because you’ve got to earn your spot to be in the postseason. There’s no consolation for finishing last. That’s corny. That’s corny. That’s wack.

“Even if my record is better than yours? Nah that’s wack.”

Following the All-Star break, James was also asked about whether or not the league should simply take the 16 best teams regardless of conference in their playoffs. It was another idea he was not a fan of.

“I would disagree with that,” James said last month. “I think our league has been built the right way as far as when it comes to the postseason. There’s been dominant conferences throughout time.”

The bottom line is, this would not happen anytime soon. There are a lot of implications when it comes to things like collective bargaining, the draft lottery, and of course the question of rewarding bad teams.

But for a player like James, who has been to seven straight NBA Finals, it’s understandable why there would be pushback to any changes.