LeBron James Reportedly Unfollowed Cavs on Twitter to Prepare for 2016 Playoffs

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James reportedly unfollowed the team's official Twitter account Monday as part of his preparations for the postseason, a period he calls "Zero Dark 23." 

Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reported James wanted to reduce some of the "noise" on his Twitter feed and recently stopped following 14 accounts, including the Cavs. Vardon doesn't believe there's any reason for the front office to be alarmed by the move.

The situation created quite a stir Monday to the point where James got asked about it after the team's 124-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets. He didn't answer the question related to the social-media maneuver and ended the media scrum a short time later, as Barstool Sports relayed from Cavs TV:

James' longtime friend and former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade commented on the situation, which seemingly has gotten blown out of proportion:

That said, it's also easy to understand why Cavs fans might be on edge. James' contract carries a player option for next season, meaning he could opt out and hit the free-agent market, per Spotrac.

In that regard, a move like unfollowing the team on Twitter could be seen as a pre-emptive change before the spotlight is truly focused on those type of things after the season.

Although Cleveland sits atop the Eastern Conference, it's been a season of dysfunction, which included the firing of head coach David Blatt in late January. And, whether accurate or not, the general sentiment is usually that James is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The bottom line remains, however, that James has stated repeatedly since returning to the Cavs that his goal is bringing a championship to Cleveland. Nothing he's done would suggest that outlook has changed despite his contract situation.

Deciding to unfollow the team on social media likely means little, as Vardon's report suggested. But Cleveland's been through plenty of sports heartbreak, so if a portion of the fanbase is on edge, it's certainly understandable.