Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is backpedaling on his recent remarks about getting rid of a couple of NBA teams, namely the New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. James said he did not endorse contraction.
"I never even mentioned that. That word never even came out of my mouth," he said. "I was just saying how the league was back in the ’80s and how it could be good again. I never said, ‘Let’s take some of the teams out.’ "
James -- astoundingly -- seemed surprised that his remarks were taken with resentment in some corners, particularly in New Jersey where Nets coach Avery Johnson was not pleased.
"It’s not about getting guys out of the league or knocking teams out. I didn’t mean to upset nobody. I didn’t tell Avery Johnson to leave either.
"I didn’t say, ‘Let’s abandon the Nets, and not let them move to Brooklyn,’ or, ‘Let’s tear down the Target Center in Minnesota.’ I never said that."
For a guy who is as media savvy as James you would think he would have known better than to venture into a topic like that in the first place.