Lakers will not hang NBA In-Season tournament banner if they win, report says
(FOX 11)
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from capturing NBA's first in-season tournament this weekend.
Should the Lakers beat the Indianapolis Pacers Saturday in the final round of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Saturday, it will add to the storied franchise's long list of team accolades that includes 17 league championships.
That being said, would the Lakers hang a "In-Season Tournament champions" banner to go with the franchise's 17 titles at Crypto.com Arena? According to a report from longtime LA-based sports journalist Arash Markazi, the Purple and Gold "has no plans" to hang a banner to celebrate the in-season showdown.
"I’m told the Lakers currently have no plans to change their stance on only hanging banners for NBA championships. They don’t hang banners for Western Conference titles, Pacific Division titles and (for now) potential NBA In-Season Tournament titles, only NBA titles," Markazi reported on social media.
As of late Thursday night, the Lakers have not yet announced what the team would do to celebrate a possible in-season tourney title. Tipoff for the Lakers-Pacers tournament final is set for 5:30 p.m. PT on December 9 at a neutral site in Las Vegas.
Each player on Saturday's winning team will win $500,000 in prize money. Unlike the previous tournament rounds, the game's outcome will not impact either team's win-loss regular-season records.
SEMIFINAL COVERAGE: LeBron scores 30 in win over Pelicans
The Lakers punched a ticket to the final round after a 133-89 blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pacers clinched after beating the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119.