There were some early doubts and reservations about the NBA’s In-Season Tournament.
Some players also complained about the point differential factor.
However, the early returns have been more than encouraging.
With that in mind, former NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick reached out to Commissioner Adam Silver to gather his thoughts on this inaugural edition of the tournament.
Adam Silver talked about his hopes for a successful inaugural In-Season Tournament on Episode 183 with @jj_redick.
Watch the full episode: https://t.co/Dp4Pb6mFbV pic.twitter.com/jiGT9KBk3N
— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) December 5, 2023
Silver stated that the returns have been even better than expected, adding that the players have gotten up for it and have bought into the idea right away.
The fact that the games also count for their regular-season record — not to mention all the additional money they could get — have made it quite an appealing product.
Silver knows that this trophy will never be as prestigious as the Larry O’Brien trophy, but giving the players a chance to win something meaningful has worked.
The Commissioner said that the tournament has also been a success in terms of fan interest, engagement, and marketing, adding that the European players have helped their teams embrace the importance of it, which isn’t much of a surprise because they’re more familiar with these kinds of competitions.
Of course, winning this NBA tournament is pretty much meaningless in the sense that it won’t count as an NBA championship.
Even so, it’s nice to see that the league is trying to do something to keep the players motivated to compete throughout the entire season.
It shouldn’t take anything extra for them to do so, but that’s just the way things go right now.
NEXT:
Charles Barkley ‘Guarantees’ 1 Team Will Win NBA Championship
