The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most celebrated franchises in the NBA. They have won the NBA title 17 times, a record they share with the Boston Celtics. However, on 11th December, the Lakers added another feather to their cap, as they became the first franchise to win the In-Season tournament. Anthony Davis and LeBron James led the Lakers to this fantastic feat. Both AD and LeBron have ingrained their names in Lakers’ folklore, alongside NBA greats like Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.

The In-Season tournament A.K.A. the NBA Cup has been a huge success, despite initial skepticism from the basketball fraternity. The tournament’s success can be measured by the viewership numbers and ratings. During the group stages of the tournament, ratings were up by 26%. According to the NBA, approximately 1.97 million people watched the Lakers take on the Suns in the quarterfinals. This is an 89% rise in viewership compared to last season. While it still doesn’t hold the same significance as the Larry O’Brien trophy, it does have the potential to become a significantly bigger affair in the future.

Will the NBA Cup grow in stature?

The Lakers put on a clinic to dismantle a promising Indiana Pacers team. They secured a comprehensive victory with a final scoreline of 123-109. Anthony Davis was the star of the finals, as he recorded 41 points and 20 rebounds during the game. Austin Reaves and LeBron also put up valuable contributions, as Reaves scored 28 points and LeBron recorded 24 points in the game. LeBron James was awarded the tournament MVP. During the post-match interview, LeBron said, “We made history. Any time you’re on the right side of history, you take it.”

Despite being the first In-Season tournament, the Lakers’ title celebrations underline the immense significance of this title for them. This sentiment is anticipated to have an even greater impact throughout the league in the future. The new tournament has pleasantly surprised the fans, players, and analysts. What was thought to be a distraction from the big prize (the Larry O’Brien trophy), has the potential to become one of the most ingenious additions to the NBA. Before the tournament, the early regular season became very inconsequential.

The In-Season tournament has added excitement and intrigue to early regular-season games. Former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said, “NBA basketball has never been more fun in November and early December than it has been this year. And I’m not sure it’s ever been more intense. I mean, these guys want these games.” The Phoenix Suns’ coach Frank Vogel also commenced the NBA for the tournament. He said, “Whatever they thought it was going to do from an excitement standpoint, I would say it’s times 100.” The initial indications for the In-Season tournament have been encouraging, and it is likely to evolve into a more competitive and celebrated tournament in the future.

Can the In-Season tournament still improve?

Despite being a massive success, the tournament had a few rough edges, which created discussions among fans and analysts. The first is the polarizing colors of the tournament’s courts. The NBA decided to opt for a bold color scheme for the tournament, and this has garnered mixed reviews from the fans. Evan Wasch, NBA’s executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics, gave a reasoning behind their decision. He said, “When you’re launching something new like this, to have it be immediately clear to players, teams, fans, both in the arena and watching on broadcast, that something different was taking place.”

Furthermore, these courts have also led to a significant injury being suffered by Miami Heat’s Dru Smith. Smith suffered a completely avoidable ACL injury, which will rule him out for the season.

Another contentious topic was the points differential system that was implemented for the tournament. Points differentials were used as a tiebreaker. This has tested the unwritten rule of running up the score. Chicago Bulls’ star DeMar DeRozan publicly aired his frustration regarding the matter. He said, “I don’t care about no In-Season Tournament points or none of that. Just respect for the game.”

However, despite its glaring flaws, the In-Season tournament has been a success.

Adam Silver deserves high praise

The NBA Commissioner was the driving force behind the inclusion of the tournament. In a press conference before the new season, Silver said, “New traditions take time. But, all throughout sports, we are seeing new innovations, and now is the time for this NBA in-season tournament.” The FA Cup (one of the oldest cup tournaments in soccer) was the inspiration behind the tournament.

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Adam Silver’s inkling has paid off big time, after the tournament was declared a huge success. The tournament has seen record viewership for games in the month of November and early December. It has added much needed fervor and intrigue into early regular season games. The fans have embraced the new tournament with open arms, and credit goes to Adam Silver.

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