NBA Board of Governors reportedly discussing in-season tournament

Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver talks to media before game one of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics at Chase Center. Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Board of Governors reportedly discussing 30-team, in-season tournament

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jul 12, 2022 11:08 PM ET

According to NBA Insider Shams Charania, the league's Board of Governors is tossing around a game-changing, in-season idea.

What it will look like exactly is still a mystery, but Charania is reporting that there's talk of an in-season tournament that will feature all 30 teams as competitors.

It sounds like this tournament would take its inspiration from March Madness.

The NBA Board of Governors today discussed In-Season Tournament concept of all 30 teams competing and then eight teams entering single-elimination round to determine the winner, with the Final Four at a neutral site, per sources. 2023-24 season at earliest.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 13, 2022

This tournament wouldn't even be a reality until the 2023-24 season at the earliest.

The main thing is the main thing: Why would these teams want to play in this tournament? What's the incentive and what do they win? How does it fit into the regular season and playoffs?

If the tournament is akin to the All-Star Game it will fail. If it features a cool incentive to win and somehow ties into the playoffs, though, this could end up being one of the better innovations to one of the major sports in years.

We'll have to wait and see what the NBA is thinking.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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