Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James is not on board with the NBA's idea of having a play-in tournament to determine the last two playoff seeds in each conference.
According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the play-in tournament is "not imminent" and "it would be a shock if the NBA adopted it in time for 2020 or even 2021," but it's clear where LeBron stands on the matter. Speaking with reporters about the idea today, the 4x NBA MVP described the idea as "wack" and "corny."
"No, no, no," James said, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "That's wack. That's wack. Why? You got to earn your spot to be in the postseason. No consolation for finishing last. That's corny. That's corny. That's wack. To play for what? What are they playing for?"
Here's how the hypothetical tournament would play out, according to Zach Lowe:
"The play-in proposal that has generated the most discussion, according to several sources: two four-team tournaments featuring the seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th seeds in each conference. The seventh seed would host the eighth seed, with the winner of that single game nabbing the seventh spot, sources say. Meanwhile, the ninth seed would host the 10th seed, with the winner of that game facing the loser of the 7-versus-8 matchup for the final playoff spot."
In addition to the play-in tournament, LeBron has previously spoken out against another potential change to the NBA's post-season system, which includes reseeding all 16 playoff teams regardless of conference affiliation.
As things stand today, LeBron and the Cavs are third in the Eastern Conference which puts them in a first round showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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