LeBron James Says He's Against Changing the NBA Playoff Format
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James is not in favor of the NBA potentially changing its playoff format by seeding all 16 teams based on record and eliminating the conference format.
James told reporters he would "disagree" with changing the current postseason structure because the NBA has had "dominant conferences throughout time," via Basketball Insiders' Spencer Davies:
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told reporters during All-Star Weekend the league will look into playoff formatting because it "would like to have a format where your two best teams are ultimately going to meet in the Finals."
Silver did note one of the main challenges is travel, as the league was "concerned about teams crisscrossing the country in the first round, for example."
The NBA has used its current 16-team playoff format, with eight teams from each conference, since 1984. Teams are currently seeded one through eight based on their record in the regular season, with the higher-seeded team having home-court advantage.
The top two teams by record in the NBA this season are the Houston Rockets (44-13) and Golden State Warriors (44-14), both of whom play in the Western Conference.
