Conor Perry |
Over a month ago the National Basketball Association had its inaugural In-Season Tournament, also known as the NBA Cup. The tournament’s last game was between the Lakers and the Pacers with the purple and gold winning it all. A month has passed and the outlook of the tournament for future seasons must now be examined.
The tournament was met with some confusion both by the media and the players alike. Bones Hyland, a Clippers guard was interviewed by the Score about the tournament and was asked his thoughts and motivations going into the tournament. He responded with “I’m not gonna lie, I don’t even know what is going on.” Fans could distinguish regular season play from tournament play by the NBA Cup floor design which featured bright colors and interesting designs. The tournament was divided into two stages: group play and knockout play. Many fans drew similarities format-wise to European soccer cups, such as the FA Cup in England or the UEFA Champions League.
As players began to show more passion and play with more intensity during the knockout stages, fans started to pay closer attention to what was happening in the tournament. The incentive for the athletes to compete at higher levels was a bonus to all members of the winning team.
The Indiana Pacers represented the Eastern Conference in the cup final whereas the Los Angeles Lakers represented the Western Conference. Even though many fans were upset by the Lakers taking home the hardware, the NBA Cup was overall a huge success. The tournament simulated postseason circumstances and gave fans a glimpse of what to expect from their team in the NBA playoffs.
The winning Lakers helped further the excitement around the new In-Season Tournament by hanging up a banner in Crypto.com Arena. Throughout the tournament and the Laker’s celebration, the trophy came under some scrutiny as to its relevance. Though it may not be as important now, the NBA Cup will continue to grow and it will begin to be recognized as much more than a simple prize.
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