LeBron James and Adam Silver may have come to an understanding regarding NBA's play-in tournament
LeBron James was highly critical of the play-in tournament last season, but it appears that he has had a change of heart based on NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s recent comments. TMZ spoke with Silver recently and he revealed that the two of them have discussed the play-in tournament.
"We talked about it," Silver said. "I think at the end of the day, I understand. Especially if you went deep last year and you have that end, you have that many sort of games on your legs.
"You're not looking forward to more games. But, I think he understands the context of the league."
From a player’s perspective, tacking on an additional game or two to enter the NBA Playoffs is a bit much, especially after you’ve worked hard all season long to be one of the top eight teams in your conference. That was basically the issue that LeBron James was struggling with last season and it became a bigger problem for him personally after he suffered a severely sprained right ankle that derailed his team’s success.
LeBron James’ frustrations and more on Adam Silver’s statement
A frustrated LeBron James criticized the play-in tournament after his LA Lakers lost 121-114 to the Toronto Raptors in early May that proved costly for them as it pertained to their position in the standings.
"Whoever came up with that s--- needs to be fired," James said then.
Despite LeBron James’ negative opinion, the new format has proven to be a hit with fans and has generated revenue that benefitted both team owners and players, which is why the play-in tournament will be back next season.
"At the end of the day, the Players Association speaks for the players, and they've approved this format for next season," Silver explained further.
"So, I think we wanted to get one more season under our belt that wasn't a pandemic season, so we could really get a sense of how it works.
"But, I'm more open to tinkering with it if necessary."
With LeBron James and the commissioner seemingly coming to a better understanding of each one’s position, it looks like the play-in tournament is here to stay for the time being. The fact that Silver left the door wide open for discussion on the format gives the players a chance to have their voices heard regarding any possible issues they may have about the play-in tournament.
For LeBron James and the LA Lakers, if they want to avoid the inconvenience of going through the play-in tournament, the goal is to be one of the top six teams in the Western Conference heading into next year’s playoffs. With a stacked roster that added 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook this offseason, the Lakers are projected to finish among the top two or three teams in the conference and one of the favorites to win the 2022 title.
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