What was supposed to be a game-changing prospect for basketball arrived with a thud that sounded similar to Cliff Robinson bricking his way through the 2003-04 season with the Golden State Warriors. The NBA In-Season Tournament was unveiled and somehow managed to be worse than expected.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made no attempts to hide his blatant cash grab when unveiling a not particularly inspired name and branding for this new competition no fan had been asking for. It is literally called the NBA In-Season Tournament and the players will be competing for the NBA Cup.
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No, seriously, that’s what it’s being called. Despite the league spending millions of dollars annually on branding officers and marketing employees, that’s the best anyone could come up with? What are these people even doing?
NBA suits kept talking about building understanding for the new tournament. Everyone understands this. You are repackaging regular season games under the guise of this somehow being like the FA Cup or Champions League despite it being nothing like either of those competitions.
Seriously, if you want to make the NBA In-Season Tournament like a soccer tournament, something Adam Silver has claimed he wanted on multiple occasions, why not invite teams from Europe and Australia to play? Bring in college teams and some G-League sides while we are at it. Hell, let’s see what the Harlem Globetrotters are up to.
Man, I miss those pre-season college basketball games between the Globetrotters and random Big 10 schools. It was the most wonderfully confusing exhibition.
Here’s the deal, if the league insists on doing this, so be it. But stop telling fans you are doing this for us. We aren’t interested. Never have been. Never will be. Honestly, what most of us want is an NBA season that runs from January to August, so it doesn’t interfere with football season.
Instead, just come out and say, “We are doing the NBA In-Season Tournament for money.” I would sure as hell respect it a lot more and may even be inclined to give it a chance. Honesty, after all, is the best policy or so parents say.
Telling the truth would also make it a lot more palatable when the NBA In-Season Tournament is eventually renamed the Epson Cartridge Conniption Cup and players are vying for the opportunity to hoist the Papa John’s Papadia Trophy.
Because we all know that is what is going to happen anyway. The Association creates stuff so they can sell it to others. Jersey patches, digital court ads, whatever the hell All-Star Weekend is called now. If Adam Silver can sell sponsorship for it, he will.
That is perfectly fine, by the way. No one has an issue with this. But stop acting as if you are doing fans a favor with the creation of the NBA In-Season Tournament. We aren’t stupid. This isn’t for us. It exists for the league to make more money. Just be honest about that fact and stop treating fans as if we’re idiots.
As the wise Judge Judy once said, “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”
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