The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament was a tremendous success despite some mixed opinions from fans and players in the offseason.
A team that was focused on winning the tournament was the Los Angeles Lakers, who went 7-0 and took their game to another level in each game. In terms of what the NBA Cup means in accolades remains to be seen, but it is a historic moment for the Lakers to be the first team to win it all.
While LeBron James and Anthony Davis did not necessarily need the $500,000 cash prize, for the rookies and two-way players, it makes a world of difference. The Lakers made it a point to play extra hard in order to win that money for the rookies and young guys that haven’t made that much.
Despite money being a big focus along the way though, making history and being the first to win the tournament was more important to Max Christie, via Marc J. Spears of Andscape:
“To be the first-ever champion of the in-season tournament champion, to me, that means more,” Christie told Andscape. “Don’t get me wrong, the money is in the back of everyone’s mind. But to be the very first to win the trophy feels good.”
This was an impressive feat for the Lakers for sure, especially for the young players to see what it is like to play in high-intensity games. Being teammates with Davis and James, they got to see how they prepare and can apply it to themselves down the line.
Christie has been a key rotational piece with Gabe Vincent out of the lineup and has proved that he is ready to take on whatever is needed from him. While it is not exactly a playoff game, it is good for a player like Christie to get that early experience and see what it is like to play on a big stage like Saturday’s championship game.
It remains to be seen if Christie will be a part of the playoff rotation in April, but he is certainly making an early impression on head coach Darvin Ham to gain his trust. The Lakers are aspiring for their 18th championship and this tournament win may serve as more motivation to accomplish that goal this year. To do that, Ham will need every player ready to play if their number gets called.
Austin Reaves: Lakers winning In-Season Tournament ‘Means A Lot’ to L.A.
Christie is not the only player who believes that being the first team to win the In-Season Tournament means something. Austin Reaves has the same belief that winning the tournament means ‘a lot’ to the team and the city of Los Angeles.
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