Kanye West thinks LeBron James made a mistake leaving Cleveland for Los Angeles -- claiming the people of Northeast Ohio need him there.
It's not a diss -- in fact, it's the opposite.
Kanye believes LeBron is so powerful and influential, he could have continued to make a major impact in his hometown off the court ... and he was sad to see King James leave.
"I'mma just, it's not my place ... but just to make it Ye -- I feel like LeBron really needs to be in Cleveland," Kanye told Harvey Levin on "TMZ Live.