The new NBA in-season Tournament won’t work

The NBA just announced that they will incorporate an in-season tournament into the 2023-2024 NBA season. According to early reports, the game will feature eight different teams playing in the tournament. Each team will win a graduating amount of money depending on where they are eliminated from the round-robin tournament.

It’s hard to fathom something like an in-season tournament in the NBA. For one, it’s unprecedented. Nothing ever interrupts the NBA season. No Olympics or international play ever disturbs the 82-game regular season. Unlike its soccer counterparts, there isn’t some decades-long history of FA Cups or midseason challenges. Speaking of the FA Cup, part of the appeal is that teams can play squads outside of their normal leagues. The NBA doesn’t have that, even G-League teams are direct affiliates of their parent NBA franchises.

NBA In-season Tournament is a nice idea, but no

The most daunting obstacle to acceptance is the NBA’s culture. For good or bad, one of the only things that matter in the league is who wins the championship. #RRRRIIIIIINNNGGGZZZ is a popular hashtag to describe what most conversations about players and their value eventually boil down to. Anything short of lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy is viewed as noise and a distraction. Take Dame Lillard’s career. Despite his massive personal achievements, the conversation about his career is largely about how he needs to be rescued from the Portland Trailblazers—a team unlikely to win the NBA title anytime soon.

Lillard has openly talked about his disdain for the ring culture, that it runs counter to players staying with teams. If a future hall-of-fame player has talked about feeling disrespected because he’s never won a ring, how can a newly created in-season tournament not be met with derision? Imagine the immediate memes of Lillard hosting an in-season tournament without winning the NBA title.

There is also the issue of injuries that could occur because of the tournaments. Mark Cuban has been outspoken against the idea of NBA players playing internationally precisely for this reason. If Cuban is that opposed to them playing in the offseason, what would his (and perhaps other franchise owners’) reaction be to Luka Doncic getting hurt and unable to compete for a playoff spot?

It’s understandable why the league would want to insert this tournament into the season. 82 games can drag on for some. And while some have asked for a reduction in games, the simple fact of the matter is that neither the owners nor NBPA is interested in generating less money. And the tournament could give some teams (and their fan bases) with no realistic shot at the title something to root for and hold onto. Imagine LaMelo Ball shining in high-leverage minutes in a game that really matters.

Putting higher stakes on games in January feels like the only way to make games more exciting. But if the effort seen at the most recent All-Star game is any indication, a relatively nominal bonus won’t do it. Until the culture of the NBA changes, this in-season tournament will be little more than a distraction.