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Cleveland Cavaliers SF LeBron James 'would disagree with' changes to NBA Playoffs format

Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James "would disagree with" changes to the NBA Playoffs format.
Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James "would disagree with" changes to the NBA Playoffs format.

CLEVELAND -- As much as Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James liked the new format for the NBA All-Star Game, he is not in support of any changes to the current conference structure for the NBA Playoffs.

During All-Star Weekend, reports emerged about the NBA considering taking the top eight teams from each conference into the playoffs, and then, instead of the Eastern and Western Conference formats, the squads would be reseeded, one through 16, and battle for the league championship.

“I would disagree with that,” James said after Cavaliers practice Wednesday. “I think our league has been built the right way when it comes to the postseason.

“It’s cool to mess around with the All-Star Game, and we proved that you could do that, but let’s not get too crazy about the playoffs. You have the Eastern Conference. You have the Western Conference. You have Eastern Conference Champions, and you have guys from the Eastern Conference who win the big dance, and then, you have it from the West as well.”

James countered the argument of offsetting the balance of power in the NBA by reviewing history, as other teams have been as dominant as the Golden State Warriors are looked at today, and yet, interest in the game was strong during those previous periods.

“There’s been dominant conferences throughout time,” James said. “Obviously, in the ‘80s, it was mismatched. You had the Lakers who dominated the league at one point, and then, Boston dominated the league. In the ‘90s, you had Chicago who dominated the league.

“San Antonio has had its run. We had our run when I was in Miami. Golden State is having their run, so it just changes the landscape and history of the game if you start messing with seedings in playoffs.”

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Quicken Loans Arena.

If the rumored format was enacted, there may never have been a moment like the Cavaliers pulling off an historic upset of the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Despite being down, 2-0 and 3-1, in the best-of-seven series against the reigning league champions, the Cavaliers fought their way to three straight wins, including a 93-89 championship-clinching win in Game 7 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, on June 19, 2016.

That victory clinched the Cavaliers’ first-ever NBA Championship and the first major sports title for the city of Cleveland since the Browns took home the NFL Championship with an upset win over the Baltimore Colts in December of 1964.

By beating Golden State in the best-of-seven battle, the Cavaliers became the first team in league history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals and win the championship.

“I’ve been a part of the Eastern Conference for my whole career, and we’ve been very, very competitive,” James said.

“There’s been years where we weren’t as good, but if I can think from when I got into the league, it’s been us. I’ve done it three times, Detroit, Boston, Miami did it in ’06, so that’s like seven championships in 14 years, which is half, right? What are we talking about?”

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