Narcissist extraordinaire LeBron James has made a really bad prediction for the NBA: he says he will never miss the NBA playoffs again. His absence in this year’s playoffs has brought nothing but good news for the woke league because television viewership in a James-less playoff season has increased substantially.
Over the weekend, James tweeted, "I can/will NOT miss the post season again for my career! This shit HURT. Ok back to watching these games." 
James is really raining on the NBA’s parade with this comment because it just had its best-watched playoff game in 20 years. By all measurements, playoff viewership has increased substantially this year without the presence of James and the Lakers.
Warner Todd Huston of Breitbart Sports, says, “The common denominator for the NBA’s sudden good fortune is the complete absence of LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers. James and the Lakers were aced out of the playoffs back at the beginning of April.”
As “King” James sits and stews, basketball fans are tuning in to watch the Warriors, Celtics, Suns and all the other teams featured in this year’s playoffs. They like what they see when James does not appear on their flat screens.
NBC Sports writer Kurt Helin totally bought into James’ self-absorbed interests and hopes James is not deprived of the playoffs again. Helin assumes that, “Without question, LeBron will put in the work this offseason to live up to that promise. At age 37, he was still unquestionably an All-NBA level player this season.” In other words, It’s not a team thing; it’s a James thing.
Helin also says the Lakers’ playoff future is all about the supporting cast they put around James. “Will GM Rob Pelinka and the front office put a better constructed team around LeBron that can defend and shoot well enough to live up to that promise?”
Though James missed 26 games – nearly a third of the season -- with injuries and failed to provide good leadership, Helin instead focuses on Anthony Davis’s injuries and whether the “King” will get enough help to make the 2023 playoffs.
Just what are the fans missing in playoff games without James playing? They’re missing out on:
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LeFlops – James' amazing propensity to fake injuries from phantom fouls. We’ve all seen the act: the flailing of arms, collapsing to the floor, holding on to his head as if he’ll need brain surgery because of a flagrant foul. (Soccer players watch LeBron and say, "Seriously, dude?"
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The angry outbursts and his reaming of teammates.
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The me, myself and I narcissism.
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James quitting and walking off the court with time on the clock.
NBA playoff viewership numbers present an inconvenient truth for the league. Its so-called “face of the league” -- LeBron James -- must be replaced by a more positive player.
