The Los Angeles Lakers superstar scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, delivered four assists and had two steals as the Lakers defeated Indiana 123-109 Saturday in the championship game of the NBA’s first In-Season Tournament.
Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis delivered an exceptional and necessary performance: 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks, and reserve guard Austin Reaves scored 28 points, including 22 points in 12 minutes, 36 seconds in the first half.
Add two more lines to LeBron James’ Basketball Hall of Fame resume.
NBA Cup championship.
NBA In-Season Tournament MVP.
The Lakers were 7-0 in the In-Season Tournament.
The upstart Pacers, who have the league’s best offense and a star-in-the-making in Tyrese Haliburton, were impressive, winning their first six games of the IST. But they struggled offensively against the Lakers. Haliburton had 20 points and 11 assists but was 2-for-8 on 3-pointers and the Pacers shot 36.8% from the field and 24.4% on 3s.
Let’s take a look at the winners and losers of the NBA In-Season Tournament:
WINNERS
NBA
The idea of an in-season tournament was met with apprehension, if not skepticism, from a wide range of people inside and outside of the league. But there was also intrigue, and by the time the IST reached the final night of group play, there was sufficient interest.
And that interest showed up in increased TV ratings and record attendance in November, which is important for the league as it negotiates a new TV deal after the current one expires after 2024-25.
Top players were on the court for IST games, which in general were competitive and stars performed.
“I want to thank all of the players in the league and the coaches, of course, the teams, for embracing this new concept. I know it doesn’t come without challenges,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “There’s no doubt there’s some things that we are learning this time through. I mean, overall, we are thrilled with the interest we’ve seen so far this season. But again, probably people are tired of hearing the word ‘tweak.’ So we’ll come up with another synonym for that.”
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
James wanted to win this, and if you thought earning an extra $500,000 per player for winning the NBA Cup didn’t matter to him, you haven’t paid attention to his approach. James averaged 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.6 steals and shot 56.8% from the field and 60.6% on 3-pointers.
James’ MVP days are behind him, but he remains – just shy of his 39th birthday on Dec. 30 – one of the game’s best and most impactful players.
Beyond winning the NBA Cup, each Lakers player earned $500,00 for capturing the title. Los Angeles is 14-9 and in a virtual three-way tie for third place in the Western Conference.
Each Pacers player earned $250,000 for reaching the final, and this run was an important step in the development of the Pacers, who have the potential to be a significant factor in the Eastern Conference this season and beyond.
