Before they began play on Monday at Crypto.com Arena against the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a banner commemorating their in-season tournament title.
Since the NBA announced the in-season tournament over the summer, it has apparently wanted everyone from fans to players to take it seriously. Although the reception among fans and even the media has been mixed, the tourney appeared to be a success due to high television ratings and the motivation players had to win it.
Shortly after the Lakers claimed the NBA Cup by defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the tourney final, it wasn’t clear if they would hang a banner to commemorate that win.
I’m told the Lakers currently have no plans to change their stance on only hanging banners for NBA championships. They don’t hang banners for Western Conference titles, Pacific Division titles and (for now) potential NBA In-Season Tournament titles, only NBA titles.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) December 8, 2023
Plenty of people have criticized or even mocked the Lakers for hanging that banner. But while on the #thisleague “UNCUT” podcast, Chris Haynes seemed to confirm a suspicion some may have had that the league urged or even pressured the organization to put up the banner (h/t Silver Screen and Roll).
“I wasn’t sure they would do it but I know the league really wanted any team who won the in-season tournament, they wanted the team to do something to kind of say that this is a big deal. I know that the Lakers had a little bit of pressure. I don’t know to what extent but I know the Lakers felt a little bit of pressure to do something.”
Winning the NBA Cup may mean a fraction of what winning the actual NBA championship has always meant, but the in-season tourney seems poised to become a permanent part of the league’s annual schedule.