LeBron James is the latest NBA star to express disapproval of the league's newly adopted playoff system.
The league icon ripped the new postseason play-in format in no uncertain terms following the Lakers' sixth loss in their past seven games on Sunday night.
"Whoever came up with that shit needs to be fired," James told reporters, per ESPN.
Under the new model, the 7th-10th seeds in each conference will stage a four-team mini "play-in" series to determine the two teams who will advance on to typical seven-game series against either the first or second seed.
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The Lakers were in sixth place in the Western Conference following a home loss to the lowly Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, perilously close to slipping into the play-in round if their recent slump isn't rectified, and quickly.
The team has struggled majorly in the months since James and his fellow superstar Anthony Davis were lost to injury. Both players are back, but neither appears to be fully healthy -- James even claims he might never return to full strength from his scary-looking high-ankle sprain -- and the team has yet to hit its stride to say the least.
Meanwhile, time is not on their side while they sort it out on the fly. The postseason was set to begin May 22.
James, a four-time MVP, becomes the most notable among several star players including Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors to express apathy or outright contempt for the new format.
Sixers executive Daryl Morey, seemingly a proponent of the play-in system, appeared to respond in disagreement on social media.
"I can't believe the NBA hastily implemented a change that makes games more interesting and meaningful," Morey said on Twitter.
James was questionable for Monday's game against the Nuggets due to the ankle issue.
"I definitely want to get healthy," he said. "Not only for myself, but for our team. I need to make sure my ankle is where it was before the injury. I've got to be smart with it."
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