The Los Angeles Lakers raised their NBA In-Season Tournament banner before the New York Knicks game and LeBron James thought it was “pretty cool.”
Social media ripped the Lakers for raising the banner, but LeBron didn’t have a problem with it.
“To be able to acknowledge wins throughout the course of a marathon, I think that’s pretty cool. That’s the first, the inauguration of it,” LeBron said. “We were able to win 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. So, it was a good moment.”
The Lakers went undefeated during In-Season Tournament games. They beat the Indiana Pacers in the championship game in Las Vegas behind 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks from Anthony Davis. LeBron, who was named MVP of the tournament, had 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists against the Pacers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
“Obviously, (the tournament is) something that’s going to be around. It’s only going to get bigger and better,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said. “I think it’s big and it’s a great shot in the arm, as I mentioned before, in terms of us rising to the occasion from a competitive standpoint and it furthermore creates and sustains a foundation that we’re trying to set in terms of getting through the regular season and then, ultimately, into the playoffs.”
LeBron and the Lakers lost to the Knicks to drop to 15-12 on the season. Los Angeles is struggling right now. The team is only 1-3 over its last four games.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
LeBron, 38, is averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists on the season. The four-time champion is shooting 53.9% from the field, 39.3% from 3 and 71.5% from the free-throw line.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
