The newest addition to the NBA regular season is the In-Season Tournament, giving players something to play for during the year. With load managing and resting being prevalent through the years, commissioner Adam Silver is looking for ways to incentivize players to take the regular seasons seriously.
Leading up to the first day of Group Play on Friday, Nov. 3, the NBA unveiled City Edition jerseys and special In-Season Tournament courts for all 30 teams. These jerseys and courts will be on display during tournament games that are played on Tuesdays and Fridays in November, signifying to viewers that these games are different than regular season matchups.
The special floors for tournament games made for an interesting viewing experience with vastly different color schemes than the regular courts. However, each court features a team logo at center court with the NBA Cup behind it and ESPN’s JJ Redick was caught off guard when he saw the Clippers’ court due to the franchise not winning a championship:
“I was very confused. The first court I saw was the Clippers court and there was a trophy at half-court.”
Oh, @jj_redick 😂 pic.twitter.com/vQZMqSvTm4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 4, 2023
This made for a funny moment as Los Angeles Lakers fans are well aware of the Clippers’ playoff struggles and finding that postseason success. The cross-hall rivals were known for their ‘Lob City’ team with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, but never made it to a Western Conference Final. Redick was a member of the Clippers for four seasons, so he experienced those shortcomings firsthand, which his broadcasting partner, Richard Jefferson would point out after that comment.
The Lakers and Clippers are coming off an intense overtime game on Wednesday where the Lakers won 130-125, snapping an 11-game losing streak to the Clippers. Both teams have championship aspirations and have been known to be precautious about their star players and making sure they’re healthy and rested for the playoffs. However, the new tournament adds a wrinkle to both teams’ plans and if they are serious about winning the NBA Cup.
While the purple and gold have won 17 championships, perhaps this is something the Clippers take seriously and use this In-Season Tournament as a precursor to a postseason run. James Harden is now joining Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, adding more firepower and propelling themselves further into title contention. Both L.A. teams play their first Group Play games on Friday, Nov. 10, beginning the quest to a potential Championship game in Las Vegas.
Anthony Davis: Cam Reddish’s role on Lakers is ‘exactly what he did’ against Clippers
The Lakers were extremely short-handed in their matchup against the Clippers, missing Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince. Cam Reddish got put in the starting lineup late and played the best defense he could on Leonard and George. Anthony Davis praised Reddish for his performance, believing that is a role he can play for the team this season.
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