NBA fans were quick to point out that LeBron James once really liked the play-in idea
LeBron liked the play-in tournament last year.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are struggling so much right now that they are coming dangerously close to being one of the four teams that would have to take part in the NBA’s play-in tournament to earn a spot in the playoffs in a few weeks.
Is that something LeBron would enjoy doing? No, not at all. After Sunday’s loss to the Raptors, which was the Lakers’ sixth loss in their last seven games and has them tied with the Trail Blazers for the sixth spot in the West, James said of the play-in tournament: “Whoever came up with that (expletive) needs to be fired.”
Well, it didn’t take long for NBA fans to find an old quote from LeBron in which he really seemed to like the play-in idea.
Here’s what he had to say last year, via Yahoo Sports:
“One thing you can’t just do is go straight to the playoffs, because it discredits the 60-plus games that guys had fighting for that position,” said James during the Road Trippin’ Podcast in March 2020.
“You got Portland. You got Memphis…New Orleans and Sacramento tinkering around there…so if there’s five or ten games left…why not those guys battle it out? Make them play each other all five games?”
Yeah, that’s quite a different stance on things for LeBron.
Here’s his take from last night:
LeBron on the NBA Play-In Tournament: "Whatever the case may be or we end up in the Playoff whatever that things is. Whoever came up with that s**t needs to be fired. But whatever." pic.twitter.com/lwRReGAQQ8
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 3, 2021
Fans were quick to call him out:
How it started how it's going pic.twitter.com/tkd6qdFNzK
— Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan) May 3, 2021
LMAOOOOO it's all good til it might be you https://t.co/csYUnfVAHw
— Michael Sykes, II (@MikeDSykes) May 3, 2021
Lebron switched up real quick about the play in tournament
pic.twitter.com/d2mXRNC4YL
— Junior
(@ClutchBarrett) May 3, 2021
Lebron when Luka and Dame were in 7th vs when he is in 7th. pic.twitter.com/oeux6PeFGD
— Mohamed Ahmed (@RealDealMohamed) May 3, 2021