The Los Angeles Lakers on Monday hung a modest banner at their downtown arena to celebrate their unbeaten run to the championship of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.
The Lakers unveiled the black-and-gold banner nestled near the franchise’s 17 NBA championship banners before they hosted the Knicks.
Los Angeles then lost to New York 114-109, their third defeat in four games since winning the tournament title in Las Vegas on Dec. 9.
Photo: Kirby Lee-USA Today
The Lakers paused their pregame warmups for a brief tribute video and a celebration with the NBA Cup as their fans clapped politely.
Nobody addressed the crowd before the banner was uncovered to more cheers.
“I think it was awesome,” said LeBron James, who posted his 109th career triple-double in Monday’s loss.
“To acknowledge wins throughout the course of a marathon, I think it’s pretty cool,” James said. “That’s the first. That’s the inauguration of it, so for our fans that didn’t get an opportunity to be in Vegas, they got an opportunity to kind of share that celebration with us tonight, share that moment. Something that will live on forever, for sure, here.”
The Lakers deliberately put a subdued nature on their celebrations nine days after they beat the Indiana Pacers for the title.
The decorated franchise famously does not hang banners for division titles or conference titles, and it has only retired the uniform numbers of NBA Hall of Famers.
However, the Lakers decided that the tournament victory deserved its own recognition — beyond the US$500,000 awarded to each player.
Los Angeles went 7-0 in tournament play, with James putting on vintage performances along the way.
The new vertical In-Season Tournament banner hangs near the five horizontal banners representing the Minneapolis Lakers’ titles before the team moved to the US west coast. The 12 golden, horizontal title banners earned in Los Angeles still dominate the north wall of the arena.
“I think it’s a cool thing,” Anthony Davis said of the new banner. The tournament “has to be a continuous thing now. It can’t be three or four years and then it’s over, because now it [would be] like: ‘All right, you’ve got a banner for what?’ If it’s something that’s going to continue to stick around for years to come, then I think it’s cool, and I think other teams would do it if they win as well.”
The Lakers are 1-3 since the tournament final, while the Pacers are 1-4.
However, Davis rejected the notion of a post-tournament hangover.
“I mean, we’re not losing by 20,” Davis said. “We’re in every game. We’re fighting, competing, playing hard. I don’t think it’s — what do they call it? The little championship high that you’re on when you start the next season? The championship hangover? I don’t think it’s one of those.”
Jalen Brunson scored 29 points and Julius Randle added 27 points and 14 rebounds for New York, who improved to 2-2 on a five-game road swing.
James amassed 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while Anthony Davis had 32 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Elsewhere on Monday, it was:
‧ 76ers 104, Bulls 108
‧ Cavaliers 135, Rockets 130 (OT)
‧ Hawks 130, Pistons 124
‧ Heat 108, Timberwolves 112
‧ Jazz 125, Nets 108
‧ Kings 143, Wizards 131
‧ Nuggets 130, Mavericks 104
‧ Pacers 127, Clippers 151
‧ Raptors 114, Hornets 99
‧ Thunder 116, Grizzlies 97
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