LOS ANGELES (AFP) - LeBron James says he plans to scale back his social media activity slightly earlier than usual as he prepares for the Cleveland Cavaliers' post-season National Basketball Association campaign.

He set tongues wagging earlier this week when he unfollowed the Cavs' official Twitter feed, with speculation the move was fuelled by unhappinhess in Cleveland or frustration with the management.

However, he insisted on Tuesday the move was motivated by a desire to start paying less attention to social media as the post-season looms.

"A little bit sooner than normal," James said. "But you know I understand that it's right around the corner and I want to start mentally preparing myself for the distance. So mentally I'm just being a little more sharper minded as of late, just gearing toward it."

The Cavaliers have the best record in the Eastern Conference but have suffered blips in the past week with defeats at Utah and Miami.

"At the end of the day, we're 9-3 in our last 12, so, I mean, we're playing some good ball," he said. "We just didn't play how we want to play in the Utah game and in Miami, but we're playing some good ball."

James and the Cavaliers lost last season's NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, prolonging a decades-long wait for a major championship in Cleveland.

No team from Cleveland has won a title in any of the major professional sports since 1964.