Did Adam Silver Play a Role in the Lakers’ U-Turn on Hanging the In-Season Banner?

The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural In-Season tournament against the Indiana Pacers. The Railroad City tried to put up a fight, but the Akron Hammer and his teammates outperformed them. So, following their success at the first-ever NBA Cup, the City of Angels are going to hang a special banner to honor their victory. Many, including LA guard Austin Reaves, believed that this would not happen. However, it seems like the front office had a change of mind.

On the No Dunks podcast, JE Skeets speculated that the 17x NBA Champions are putting up this banner only because of one person. And that person is the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Is Adam Silver forcing the Lakers to hang the IST banner?

JE Skeets shared a speculative insight and said, “The Lakers famously don’t hang division or conference banners, like some of these other teams that are suckers. They only hang championship banners, but they are hanging this one.” He then asks the co-panelist Tas Melas about whether he finds it hilarious that the Lakers have decided to hang the IST banner. Tas said, “It’s not hilarious to me, they are trying to make more of the in-season tournament than it currently is.”

He further said that he liked the concept of this banner being different to indicate that this isn’t as big of an accomplishment as winning a championship. But Skeets, however, thinks that putting up the IST banner is hilarious, and he even gave a reason for it. He said, “I’m pretty damn sure this is Adam Silver’s doing and not really the Lakers’ decision. We heard the Lakers talking about this before the finals, ‘what do you think, will you hang a banner’? And a lot of it from the Lakers side of things were ‘not really, I mean we hang championships.'”

When compared to the classic championship banners, the IST banner is going to feature a unique “add-a-year” design. This will, however, be effective, as any future IST champions will be merged into the original one. This displays the Lakers’ dynamic and expanding heritage in the in-season tournament format. The new banner will be hung alongside the Lakers’ 17 championship banners and retired jerseys of Lakers’ legends like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson.

When is the new banner going to be unveiled?

The Lakers will display the awaited banner in a special ceremony before the their matchup against the New York Knicks. This event will take place at the same time as an event to celebrate two of the Lakers’ key players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who were both chosen to the All-Tournament Team. The IST banner will stand as a visible reminder of the Lakers’ supremacy throughout the tournament, highlighting an important chapter in the team’s illustrious history.

Read More: Adam Silver Issues Apologies to MVP Lebron James for Vegas Snub Despite NBA Cup Glory

As the new banner will be unveiled at the Crypto.com arena, it will not only represent their win at the first-ever NBA Cup; but also represent the Lakers’ continuing success in the ever-changing world of NBA competition. What are your thoughts on this move by LA? Do you think Adam Silver had a role to play in this? Let us know in the comments!

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