NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s gamble in Las Vegas paid off. The inaugural In-Season Tournament proved a huge success and delivered more than the fans expected. The NBA world witnessed some of the most competitive games early in the season, something that seemed missing in the old format. The Los Angeles Lakers added to their storied legacy by becoming the first franchise to lift the NBA Cup.

Just 2 days after becoming the first-ever in-season tournament champions, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham reaffirmed that the first-of-its-kind tournament is here to stay.

The In-Season Tournament is not going anywhere

LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers to an undefeated run in the first edition of the In-Season Tournament. The Lakers won all seven of their group and knock-out stage games to become the first tournament champions. Two days after lifting the NBA Cup, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham gave his thoughts about the new initiative by Adam Silver, “This tournament isn’t going anywhere, it’s only going to get better. To be the first team to do it, I think it’s awesome. (Winning) the Cup is a big shot in the arm for us.”

Apart from the competitive aspect of the games, the tournament generated big numbers for the NBA. The final game between the Pacers and the Lakers averaged 4.58 million viewers across ABC and ESPN. The tournament final was the most-watched game outside of the playoffs and the Christmas games in the last five years. The tournament averaged 1.67 million viewers, a 41 percent growth from last season’s games in the same months. Witnessing the success of the tournament, it is clear that the NBA will build on its legacy and make it a norm going forward.

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What’s next for the Los Angeles Lakers?

The LA Lakers reasserted their dominance in the league by winning the first-ever In-Season Tournament. Their performance this season has been a huge step up from their abysmal 2-10 start last year. LeBron James was on a mission to become the first player to lift the NBA Cup and take home the $500,000. He won the MVP trophy for his dominant performance throughout the tournament. LeBron’s co-star Anthony Davis played his best game of the season and put up a season-high 41 points and 20 rebounds against the Pacers.

King James revealed he wanted to give the young players in his squad a taste of winning the championship. That will keep them motivated for the rest of the season. Now that the Lakers have added an NBA Cup to their resume, they will shift their focus to winning their 18th title in franchise history. The Lakers are 6th in the West with a 14-9 record, and they will look to carry this momentum to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season.

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