The 2023 NBA In-Season Match Champions banner is displayed earlier than an NBA basketball sport between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photograph/Ryan Solar)
LOS ANGELES— The Los Angeles Lakers have hung a modest black banner at their downtown area to have a good time their unbeaten run to the championship of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Match.
The Lakers unveiled the black-and-gold banner nestled close to the franchise’s 17 NBA championship banners on Monday night time earlier than they hosted the Knicks. Los Angeles then misplaced to New York 114-109, taking its third defeat in 4 video games since profitable the match title in Las Vegas on Dec. 9.
The Lakers paused their pregame warmups for a quick tribute video and a celebration with the NBA Cup as their followers clapped politely. No one addressed the group earlier than the banner was uncovered to extra cheers.
“I believe it was superior,” mentioned LeBron James, who posted his 109th profession triple-double within the loss. “To acknowledge wins all through the course of a marathon, I believe it’s fairly cool. That’s the primary. That’s the inauguration of it, so for our followers that didn’t get a chance to be in Vegas, they bought a chance to form of share that celebration with us tonight, share that second. One thing that can reside on eternally, for positive, right here.”
The Lakers intentionally put a subdued nature on their celebrations 9 days after they beat Indiana for the title. The embellished franchise famously doesn’t grasp banners for division titles or convention titles, and it has solely retired the uniform numbers of Basketball Corridor of Famers.
However the Lakers finally determined the match victory deserves its personal recognition — past the $500,000 awarded to every participant. Los Angeles went 7-0 in match play, with James placing on classic performances alongside the way in which.
The brand new vertical In-Season Match banner hangs close to the 5 horizontal banners representing the Minneapolis Lakers’ titles earlier than the staff moved to the West Coast. The 12 golden, horizontal title banners earned in Los Angeles nonetheless dominate the north wall of the world.
“I believe it’s a cool factor,” Anthony Davis mentioned of the brand new banner. “(The match) needs to be a steady factor now. It may possibly’t be three or 4 years after which it’s over, as a result of now it (could be) like, ‘All proper, you’ve bought a banner for what?’ If it’s one thing that’s going to proceed to stay round for years to come back, then I believe it’s cool, and I believe different groups would do it in the event that they win as properly.”
The Lakers are 1-3 for the reason that match closing, whereas the Pacers are 1-4. Davis rejected the notion of a post-tournament hangover, nonetheless.
“I imply, we’re not dropping by 20,” Davis mentioned. “We’re in each sport. We’re preventing, competing, enjoying laborious. I don’t assume it’s — what do they name it? The little championship excessive that you simply’re on once you begin the subsequent season? The championship hangover? I don’t assume it’s a kind of.”
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