The NBA implemented a new idea this offseason, that being the In-Season Tournament. This is an attempt by the league to make the regular season carry more weight among teams. In recent years, there have been other innovation attempts with an example being the Play-In Tournament.
Load managing and resting key players being an issue through the years, the In-Season Tournament is an effort to add more competitiveness to the regular season and incentivize players to care more. The In-Season Tournament features Group Play and Knockout Rounds similar to the World Cup, with the Championship taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Group Play kicked off last Friday and featured City Edition jerseys accompanied by special courts to commemorate the tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers play their first tournament game on Friday, Nov. 10 on the road against the Phoenix Suns. Lakers star LeBron James gave his thoughts on the In-Season Tournament, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I have not been a part of it yet, I did not get an opportunity to watch it last Friday. We had a team dinner in Orlando before our game, seen some of the clips, some of the courts looked a little funky. But, I think it’s great, you know, in the sense for the league, spicing things up. I did see some of the quotes from some of the players that some of the games felt like a playoff atmosphere type intensity. So, that’s great in that sense.”
Being one of the faces of the league, James’ opinion carries weight in matters transpiring in the NBA. When the Play-In was announced, the four-time champion was not in favor of it but seems optimistic this time around when it comes to the In-Season tournament.
L.A. is in West Group A for the tournament, which features the Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers host the Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 14 before going back on the road against the Trail Blazers on Nov. 17. They then finish Group Play at home against the Jazz on Nov. 21.
It is worth mentioning that all these games count towards the regular season record, adding something at stake for the Lakers and others to compete and win these tournament games. The winning team will take home the NBA Cup and $500,000 apiece, making for a decent payday for whatever team wins it all.
James provides positive update regarding Bronny’s recovery
James’ son Bronny suffered a health scare during practice at USC in July, shocking many when he went into cardiac arrest. Thankfully, LeBron provided some good news regarding Bronny’s recovery and seems to be in good spirits since the incident.
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