The NBA paved a new way for competitiveness this season with the concept of an in-season tournament. Following the success of it, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce paid their respect to the governing body of the league while discussing its potential. In the latest episode of the KG Certified, the former Boston Celtics duo joined forces as they talked about recent developments in the NBA.
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Pierce opened the dialogue with excitement as he admired how a change in model brought in a higher level of ambition amongst the players.
“I love how the league is always innovating bro and it’s keeping it more fresh and exciting now at this early in the season.”
Garnett voiced in the same way the host claimed, “I love where it’s going,” as he agreed with Paul on the show.
Kevin delved a bit deeper as he highlighted the potential the tournament held. He believed that a combination of the current format and the location of Vegas for the final four could become quite huge for the NBA.
“Have no sponsor yet. Ain’t nobody really came in,” the 47-year-old pointed out before adding, “The league is gonna be able to go out and get a sponsor for the in-game season tournament alone”.
It displayed the area of opportunity for the tournament as the setup excited the 2008 NBA champion. “It’s almost like another type of season,” he mentioned, describing, “You transform and come out of the norm of NBA life, and then you go into this circus of energy”.
Following this, the duo even discussed the potential matchup for the final. “I would love to see Celtics vs Lakers,” Paul stated while expressing his desire to watch the age-old NBA rivalry on the biggest stage. “It’s gonna be like a Super Bowl, P,” Kevin highlighted while supporting his former teammate’s choice for the tournament decider.
Later, they indulged in discussing how the governing body could dedicate an entire week to the tournament. Drawing parallels with the Super Bowl, they both brainstormed a few ideas that they believed could become game-changers. “I feel like this is what this weekend is going to blow up to be,” Pierce mentioned, further backing the in-season tournament to follow the Super Bowl model.
The in-season tournament rose against all the odds
The concept was met with resistance upon its introduction at the start of the season. With time, as the players started to get more involved in the contest, the temperature of excitement reached new heights. “I think it’s great, in the sense for the league to spice things up,” LeBron James stated, showcasing support for the tournament format.
The NBA hit all the milestones that they had wanted to with this competition. The buzz amongst the supporters has gone up. The ratings have increased significantly. More importantly, it has caught the attention of the former players with its experimental approach.
All in all, Kevin was right to point out the high potential for growth of this tournament. The added energy from the stars is visible as the league plans its next moves in the background.
