The NBA‘s inaugural In-Season Tournament recently concluded in Las Vegas, and it’s safe to say that it was a resounding success for the league. There was a lot of speculation about players being motivated enough to fight for a cup in December. However, teams definitely showed a playoff-level intensity. The league had earlier announced a $500,000 prize per player for the winning team, which might have played a role in the same.
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After winning the tournament Austin Reaves talked on the ‘Run it Back’ show and revealed how the mentality was in the locker room. According to Reaves, the young guys on the roster provided the energy for everyone to go out and compete. Though $500,000 is not a significant amount for the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for some of the players on two-way contracts, it was almost an 89% bonus. Here is what Reaves had to say:
“All the young guys were running around even before the game like, ‘Please win, please win.’, 2-ways were like ‘This is a $150,000 game for us, we need you to win.”
“All the young guys were running around even before the game like, ‘Please win, please win.’, 2-ways were like ‘This is a $150,000 game for us, we need you to win.”
Austin Reaves on the Lakers incentive to win the IST.
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— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 11, 2023
The Lakers’ roster currently has three players on two-way contracts earning $560,000 – Colin Castleton, D’Moi Hodge and Alex Fudge. Reaves talked about the three players urging the superstars to win the tournament for them as it would almost double their salaries for the year. The NBA would be delighted to see the Hall of Fame players supporting the tournament and showing out to make the format a huge success.
Anthony Davis’ monster performance in the Finals
The Los Angeles Lakers went undefeated in the seven In-Season Tournament games they played. It was a dominant performance by the team which defeated the Indiana Pacers in the Finals to take home the top honors. LeBron James was adjudged the first In-Season Tournament MVP. He averaged 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting 56.8% from the field and 60.6% on 3-pointers. This ensured the entire roster got $500,000 in prize money, including the head coach – Darvin Ham.
Anthony Davis played his best game of the 2023 season in the Finals. He ended up with 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. After critics urging Davis to play to his potential, he finally decided to show out. His teammate James was all praise for the player and compared his performance to Lakers’ legend Shaquille O’Neal. He said, “Absolutely, that was a Shaq-like dominant performance. And we had the big fella sitting down there by our bench. So, I think [Davis] was inspired. … AD was just dominant. Big time!”
With more than half the season left to play, the Lakers fans have seen a glimpse of what the team is capable of. They would be hoping for the roster to stay healthy in order to compete for the championship come June. The In-Season Tournament victory will serve as a shot in the arm for the fans and players alike.
