J.A. Adande, Guest Columnist

LeBron James Played the NBA Tournament as If It Mattered

It wasn’t a championship game, but the passion he and others showed during the in-season event invigorated what would typically be a forgettable stretch of the basketball season.

December 11, 2023 at 2:43 PM UTC

By J.A. Adande

J.A. Adande is the director of sports journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He has previously worked at ESPN, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Play to win.
Photographer: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

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At the conclusion of the NBA’s first-ever In-Season Tournament, LeBron James’ celebration belied the secret to the event’s success.

He held the NBA Cup over his head and laughed as if it were ridiculous to expect a man of his accomplishments (four NBA championships, all-time scoring leader) and wealth (more than $400 million in total playing salary) to be excited about winning this newly created trophy and a six-figure bonus check. The truth is, though, by taking it seriously right up until then, James and other NBA stars made the In-Season Tournament meaningful.