Last season, the NBA rolled out an In-Season Tournament that happens in the months of November and December during the regular season. From the looks of it, it must have had some success because they are doing it again!
The In-Season Tournament is a concept similar to European soccer league’s domestic tournaments and also the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup. The tournament provides franchises the chance to have success early on and raise a banner. The tournament also provides more games with stakes in the months of November and December. Now, the question becomes, will NBA fans tune in? Surprisingly, they did find viewership growth last November. It’s not completely clear if the games were the reason for the increase, or the intrigue of something new and foreign. But if they can increase viewership again this season, this tournament might be actually catching on.
Like all new things, there was some criticism. Basketball purist felt that the tournament is just a gimmick. Also, the new courts were definitely something… Additionally, there was some feeling that players would not compete with playoff-level intensity because the games were still technically regular season contests as well. Another criticism voiced by fans was the venue of Las Vegas. The stadium was dimly lit and contrasting it with the bright red & blue court plus neutral crowd energy made it feel more like the 2020 bubble playoffs.
One thing that must change is the alternative uniforms for the In-Season Tournament. Luckily, the Lakers were not forced to wear those illuminati triangle purple shirts in the Cup Final. Let’s hope they can do more like a retro type look like Utah or Sacramento. Using more retro jerseys might win over the NBA purists and in the end, this new addition might become a November/ December tradition.
One thing the NBA quickly rectified with regards to the IST is the marketing. They did not take my advice to call the trophy the David Stern Cup but they did present the tournament with capitalism. The Emirates NBA Cup does have a better ring to it. Also, cutting down from the NBA In-Season Tournament to the NBA Cup is a nice touch.
The tournament also put the Indiana Pacers back on the map. Going into the 2023/24 season, the Pacers were to be featured on national TV once. Moreover, Tyrese Halliburton had the chance to show off his skill set to rest of the nation. In addition, the playoff-like atmosphere experienced during the tournament helped prepare the Pacers for their Eastern Conference Playoff run. Let’s hope that this time next year we will be talking about the 2024 NBA Cup Champions Cleveland Cavaliers!
