Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsSunday, June 21, 2026

LeBron Unenthused About Facing NY in Playoffs

So LeBron’s most likely not headed to sign in New York. But he definitely loves playing at MSG—the massive numbers he puts up there tell the story, even if he didn’t see fit to wax eloquent about the Mecca afterward. How’s this for a compromise: The Cavs kick off what should be a run deep into the playoffs against the Knicks. Now that’s a 1/8 series that, for a change, would be must-watch material.↵
↵
↵James, whose eyes usually light up at the mention of ball in Gotham, is certainly playing it cool. From Newsday↵So does LeBron notice the race for 8th, which includes the Knicks?↵↵⇥“I can’t say I don’t,” he said candidly before Sunday’s game. “I look at the standings, we see the standings in our locker room. I’m a fan of the game so I’m watching basketball games every day and they have the standings ... So you do follow it and see who could be the matchup. I think our main focus right now is to try to win out and get better every day and win as many games as possible to put us in the position to have home court throughout the playoffs.”↵↵When pressed on the Knicks issue, James once again dismissed it: “It don’t matter who we play. Wherever we finish, we’re ready to play anybody.” Now, maybe this is James trying to make up for some of the excess enthusiasm he’s shown in the past toward NYC. Maybe it’s a good way to deflect any questions about a possible move to the Knicks. Or maybe, caught up in the thick of a banner year for his Cavs, Bron just can’t bring himself to think about image, symbolism, and even marketing. ↵
↵
↵It’s the third possibility that should have Cleveland fans -- and in truth, all NBA enthusiasts -- especially stoked to see James in the playoffs this season.↵

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

See More:

More in General

GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
An SB Nation New Yorker needs our helpAn SB Nation New Yorker needs our help
GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
General
Sabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world recordSabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world record
General

The mythical two-hour mark was broken at the London Marathon.

By Bernd Buchmasser
A Huge Dog
THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1
Play
General
Super Bowl 60 coin toss resultsSuper Bowl 60 coin toss results
General

The Seahawks and Patriots will open the Super Bowl with the coin toss to determine who starts with the ball. We have the full coin toss results for Super Bowl 60.

By David Fucillo
General
Marc Marquez completes a comeback for the agesMarc Marquez completes a comeback for the ages
General

MotoGP’s Marc Marquez completed a comeback for the ages with his 2025 title

By Mark Schofield
General
How to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search resultsHow to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search results