LeBron James is not accustomed to sitting at home in June. The 3-time MVP and 4-time champion missing the playoffs altogether feels like a rare eclipse on a career defined by deep runs in the postseason year after year. Although the Lakers missed out after a season of running up a downwards escalator, LeBron has found ways to stay engaged with the playoffs and even vowed to never miss them again after a Hawks-Heat game in the first round.
LeBron, being the media mogul that he is, has focused his playoff frustrations into content. On the most recent episode of The Shop, he revealed the two teams in the playoff that he would love to play with.
“Of the teams left playing, which one would you want to play for?” James was asked by Maverick Carter.
“Oh my God,” James replied. “Mav’s trying to f*ck me over right here. The team I would love to play for is not in the playoffs, which is the Lakers. But if it was one team that I know I could make an immediate impact in the postseason, and we could be very special, it’d either be Miami or Golden State. And I like the way Draymond talks to guys, too. I would love getting into a pissing match with Draymond, I would love that. That type of sh*t, I love when somebody cuss me the f*ck out.”
Pat Riley has mentioned that he’d be willing to leave a key under the mat for LeBron in the event he wanted to head back to South Beach. As for a Warriors team with LeBron, it certainly is a tantalizing hypothetical, but things didn’t go so well the last time Draymond got into a pissing match with a superstar teammate.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/lebron-james-join-heat-warriors-2022-playoffs-video/