When the NBA announced the first-ever in-season tournament this past summer, some were skeptical whether it would work. They questioned whether players and coaches would be motivated to win what they saw as a possibly meaningless trophy early in the season.
So far, it seems the in-season tournament has been a success. In particular, the Los Angeles Lakers seem to have played with more gusto in their in-season tourney games than in other contests.
They improved to 3-0 in such games after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 107-95 on Friday. Afterward, LeBron James hinted at the team’s added motivation in these games when he said it knows what’s at stake.
LeBron James on the Lakers’ 3-0 start in group play in the in-season tournament: “We know what’s at stake” pic.twitter.com/VtArGwK22v
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 18, 2023
James scored 35 points and dished nine assists against Portland on Friday. A week earlier in L.A.’s first in-season tourney game, he had 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the team came back from a sizeable deficit to defeat the Phoenix Suns.
Anthony Davis has confirmed the Lakers' motivation to win the in-season tournament
The team that wins the in-season tournament will receive a cash prize as an extra incentive to go after the new NBA Cup. Davis said recently that the Lakers are motivated to win that cash prize, and he also quoted one of his teammates as saying that last Friday’s win over the Suns was “one step closer” to winning that money.
Anthony Davis didn't try to obfuscate the fact that the in-season tournament's cash prize is a real lure for the Lakers: "$500 [thousand] sounds real good to us. It’s going to bring that juice, you know what I mean? … I heard one of our players, I’m not going to say who but he…
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 15, 2023
Los Angeles’ fourth and final group play game will be this coming Tuesday at home against the Utah Jazz. It currently has the best record in Group A in the Western Conference to go along with a lopsided point differential.
