SO HOW ABOUT THIS NBA CUP?
NBA In-Season Tournament
Was there ever any doubt?
The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament was nothing short of a success by all measures. The Los Angeles Lakers took home a championship, viewership across the league increased, and conversations were had about basketball in the early wisps of winter. Are the days of “the season doesn’t start until after the All-Star break” gone? No, not yet at least. But this is certainly the beginning of a new staple in the league.
It is well-reported that Adam Silver anxiously awaited this tournament’s debut in hopes to capture some much-wanted attention in November-December basketball, as the NBA has too often fallen second fiddle to the NFL and college football’s drama and popularity. While we still have no viewership numbers to cross-reference across the board, it’s safe to say from engagement online and cultural discourse that Silver’s dream for the tournament came true. The NBA was watched, talked about, bought from, and headline-worthy—in good ways this time.
While the early days of the tournament saw the conversation first centered around rules and brackets, it quickly shifted to the design of the courts. Many online lamented the designs and colors and complained that they detracted from the performances on the court. If anything, that may be what the tournament will be remembered for. Whether the court designs will be scaled back in future seasons has yet to be commented on. Soon, though, with the end of group play, the tournament truly began, and for a solid December week, basketball had immediate stakes.
And what better way to track these stakes than with a historic run from 39-year-old veteran Lebron James and his Los Angeles Lakers. Anthony Davis joined clubhouse royalty with his performance in the tournament final, marking a 40 point, 20 rebound, 5 assist or more night that joined the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor in the Laker stat book.
Alongside the reformed powerhouse 2023 Lakers was the underdog Indiana Pacers, a young team who flew by formidable competition with will and valiant performances from All-Star Tyrese Haliburton and teammates Buddy Hield, Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, and Bruce Brown to name a few. Emerging into the finals, the match-up seemed destined to be close. An entertaining watch it became, though the Lakers maintained a steady lead through to the end.
The Las Vegas neutral courts proved, if anything, lower energy than expected. Home crowds in the NBA are notoriously loud and engaged, and the more tepid reactions of non-partisan fans drew attention though no alarm or ire. A curious medal ceremony is worth noting for its lack of excitement and corporate nature for what was touted as a momentous occasion of an inaugural granting of a new NBA staple piece of silverware. Vegas did show up, though, as fans do, and an NBA foray into further expansion can be predicted to find success in such a market, even if the more exhibition-like crowd may have surprised some tonight.
The NBA resumes regular season play on Monday, December 11th. The Los Angeles Lakers record stands at 14-9 in the Western Conference. The Indiana Pacers rest at 12-8 in the East.