The NBA has officially revealed the five players who have made the first-ever All-Tournament team for the In-Season Tournament. The MVP of the tournament LeBron James leads the way along with long-time rival Kevin Durant and teammate Anthony Davis. Giannis Antetokounmpo also made the cut with Tyrese Haliburton’s sensational run being rewarded with a spot as the lead guard.
The All-Tournament Team for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament!
🏆 Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Bucks)
🏆 Anthony Davis (@Lakers)
🏆 Kevin Durant (@Suns)
🏆 Tyrese Haliburton (@Pacers)
🏆 LeBron James (@Lakers) pic.twitter.com/aTlUh0J3gt— NBA (@NBA) December 11, 2023
There were many contenders, but only teams that made it to the quarter-finals would see their star players in the running.
James and Davis were the most dominant duo of the tournament, so it was bound for them both to see their names here. LeBron averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 8.2 assists over the tournament while Davis averaged 20.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2,7 blocks.
Kevin Durant balled out for the Suns, mostly carrying them to the knockouts while missing teammates Devin Booker and Bradley Beal for most games. KD was easily the best scorer of the tournament, averaging 34.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in his four appearances.
Giannis has been sensational for the Bucks this season, with the In-Season Tournament being another arena in which he shined. He averaged 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists to cement his spot on this list.
Tyrese Haliburton was the breakout star of the Tournament, leading a Pacers’ Cinderella run to the Finals which saw them beat the 76ers, Celtics, and Bucks. He averaged 27.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 13.7 assists, as he announced himself to the league as a future superstar.
Was The In-Season Tournament A Success?
There will be conflicting opinions about the In-Season Tournament until we’re a few years into the experiment, but it seems to have been received well. Almost every team complimented the intensity of the games, with teams in the knockout rounds likening their matches to the playoffs. The intensity was turned up, as it was clear that the teams made an active effort to be the first team to win this tournament.
The NBA intends to keep this tournament around for the foreseeable future, with the Lakers even commemorating becoming the first-ever champions by putting up a banner. While it will never be as big a deal as winning the Larry O’Brien, it’s clear the league wants to add In-Season Tournament achievements to the history books, similar to the recently devised Conference Player of the Year awards in the Playoffs.
It’s hard to call this a failure, as we finally got to watch teams play motivated basketball during the dog days of the season. We go straight into the Christmas Games hype from the tournament, and before you know it, we’re close to All-Star and the trade deadline, giving fans plenty of reasons to stay connected with the sport.
That wasn’t the case for November and December hoops earlier, something the tournament has now changed.
