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LeBron James on NBA’s play-in tournament: ‘Whoever came up with that s–t needs to be fired’

Published by

Robert Marvi

May 2, 2021 10:37 pm

Fans and observers of the NBA seem divided on whether the upcoming play-in tournament is a good thing for the league.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is not a fan of it.

The league started the play-in tournament as part of last season’s resumption in Orlando, Fla. following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It isn’t hard to see why James feels that such a tournament is a bad idea. With Sunday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Lakers are now in sixth place in the Western Conference.

Since they’re in a three-way tie with the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers have a real chance of finishing seventh and needing to win the play-in tournament simply to qualify for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

James’ squad has a tough schedule this upcoming week, as it will face the Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns.

Robert Marvi

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif., and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA fan since he was a little kid in the mid '90s and fell in love with the Nick Van Exel-led Lakers teams. He truly cherishes the Kobe Bryant-era of Lakers basketball and the five world championships that came with it, and is looking forward to the team's next NBA title.