NBA News: LeBron James Makes 1 Huge Demand to Improve Conference Finals

While the Lakers are still trying to figure out ways to improve their squad, LeBron has more time to dissect what’s going on in the playoffs from a spectator’s point of view. A brilliant basketball mind, the 39-year-old forward already has his thoughts on how the remaining teams are faring in the postseason.

However, one incident during the intense series opener between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. One particular call against a former teammate of his had the King calling out to the league office to have one specific rule changed.

LeBron James wants NBA officials to tweak challenge rules to improve Conference Finals play

In a game where every point matters, Jason Kidd challenged questionable calls that would put his team in a disadvantageous situation.

The two instances where the Mavs were able to reverse the calls were successful. However, the team found themselves without any challenges to make by the fourth quarter, when challenges become more important.

Mavs fans complained about how the league sets up its challenges, and The Spun’s Andrew Gould wrote about LeBron’s take on how challenges are currently done in the NBA:

“Have to change that challenge rule! No way you have 2 successful challenges and can’t anymore for the rest of the game! Makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE,” James wrote.

Making bad calls is a part of the game as referees also miss some tough calls. However, not having challenges when your team was efficient with their use of their challenges is a huge problem when the right call could have made the difference between victory and defeat.

How do other sports leagues handle challenges?

LeBron James probably asked for a change in the rules due to how the other major pro sports leagues in the country are handling challenges.

The NBA’s current challenge setup is similar to the NFL, where they only have two for the entire game. However, teams who got both of their challenges right will earn a third.

The NHL has a completely different approach when it comes to challenges. Coaches can openly challenge plays involving offsides, goalie interference, or missed stoppages.

The MLB also has limits on their challenges, but managers can challenge as many reviewable calls as they could on a single challenge. They keep their challenge if they were successful.

The NBA can use the other leagues as inspiration if they want to look into LeBron’s call and make adjustments to how challenges function.