The 2023-24 regular season has reached its final phase, as less than 5 games remain for most of the teams. With the campaign at such a crucial juncture, every win matters. However, the Los Angeles Lakers, who boast 46 wins in the regular season, are actually credited with only 45 victories. So, why does the Lakers’ record not reflect their true number of wins?

The reason behind the Lakers’ unrecognized win is the inaugural In-Season tournament. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the tournament during the 2023 offseason. However, the newly proposed tournament wouldn’t increase the number of games beyond the standard 82-game regular season, except for one additional match: the final of the In-Season tournament.

In the beginning, many didn’t see a problem with this ruling. After all, it’s just one game. However, as the season has progressed, fans are starting to understand the value of that one win, especially fans of the Lakers. The Lakers won the inaugural In-Season tournament by defeating the Indiana Pacers by a comprehensive scoreline of 123-109. But as the rules stated, this victory wasn’t counted towards their regular season record.

The Lakers currently occupy the 8th spot in the Western Conference standings, with 45 wins from 78 games. If their In-Season tournament finals victory was to be counted, the Lakers would’ve jumped one place to the 7th spot. Furthermore, they would be level on wins with the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns. Naturally, the Lakers’ fans have voiced their opposition to this rule, as they feel there is no incentive for teams and players to win the In-Season tournament. And to a certain extent, they might be right. However, would the NBA change the current format of the tournament?

The In-Season Tournament is here to stay

For several seasons, the NBA had been seeking solutions to enhance the significance and appeal of early regular season games, which had consistently recorded low viewership figures. Inspired by cup competitions in European football, Adam Silver came up with an ingenious idea. He introduced a similar kind of cup competition to the NBA this season. At first, the NBA faced pushback from the basketball community, as many felt this sort of competition wouldn’t work.

However, fans loved this innovation because it provided a sense of jeopardy during the early stages of the regular season. The rise in viewership further vindicated Adam Silver and the NBA’s decision to introduce the tournament. In-Season tournament games garnered an average viewership of approximately 1.67 million, indicating an 18% rise compared to the viewership during a similar period last year on national TV networks. According to Sports Business Journal, “The IST saw over 2.2 billion video views. NBA League Pass average viewership for the IST was up 45% compared to the same period last season.”

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Furthermore, the league has also found a sponsor for the tournament, as they inked a deal with UAE-based airline, Emirates. From the 2024-25 season onwards, the In-Season tournament will be called the Emirates NBA Cup. With the In-Season tournament enjoying such success, it’s hard to think that the NBA would change the current format.

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