Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

NBA, NBPA agree to extend play-in tournament through 2021-22 season

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/16/21

The play-in tournament, which was highly criticized by players this season, will remain in place for the 2021-22 campaign.

The NBA and the Players Association have agreed to extend the play-in tournament format through the 2021-2022 season, sources tell ESPN. The league’s Board of Governors will make it official in a formal vote soon.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 16, 2021

The news comes after NBA commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month that the play-in tournament would return next season after the league found it was a success this year.

The play-in tournament, which featured four teams from both conferences, was fully implemented this season to minimize tanking for a higher draft pick during the final weeks of the regular season.

While this year's tournament saw high viewership, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Los Angeles Lakers great LeBron James were among players to express disdain with the format.

James said that whoever came up with the play-in format "needs to be fired," while Doncic said, "You play 72 games to get into the playoffs, then maybe you lose two in a row and you're out of the playoffs. So I don't see the point of that."

Wojnarowski says that the NBA's board of governors will make the 2021-22 play-in tournament official with a formal vote soon.

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