The backlash of the Donald Sterling controversy is hitting all the wrong buttons for the NBA and the latest issue is no different. NBA Player’s Union VP Roger Mason Jr. says that if Sterling still owns the Clippers by the start of next season LeBron James will boycott the NBA until he is removed.

Now James has not commented on this and nor should he while he is the middle of the playoffs, but it would be a crushing blow to the NBA if it’s true. Mason spoke with Jim Rome on his Showtime television show and said he and LeBron spoke about the situation and it is actually an option.

Via CBSSports:

“If it’s not handled by… the start of next season, I don’t see how we’re playing basketball,” Mason said. “I was just in the locker room with LeBron… At the end of the day, you know we have leaders. We have player reps, we’ve got executive committee members… Leaders of the teams, they’re all saying the same thing, ‘If this man is still in place, we ain’t playing’.”

Rome followed up: “So your guy LeBron, you think he would not play if Sterling were still in there when the [next] season started?”

“I was just in the locker room three or four days ago. LeBron and I talked about it,” Mason said. “He ain’t playing if Sterling is still an owner.”

Now I wouldn't put too much into this conversation, but the idea is out there that LeBron could leave the NBA. If James were to actually threaten the league they would have more than enough motivation to attempt to take Sterling’s team from him.

[CBSSports]

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