Adam Silver a ‘big advocate’ of colorful courts in NBA In-Season Tournament

LAS VEGAS — The searing blue court docket with the intense crimson strip down the center, and huge NBA Cup decals in every foul lane and on the middle line — all of that’s right here to remain in Adam Silver’s In-Season Tournament.

Silver, the league’s commissioner who created the In-Season Tournament, raved in regards to the particular courts used for all 67 video games, whether or not they have been in native markets or Las Vegas for the semifinal and ultimate rounds.

“I’m a big advocate of the colorful courts,” Silver mentioned on Saturday in his assembly with reporters, an hour earlier than the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers have been to play for the primary IST championship.

“Obviously, we want to make sure that the players have confidence in them, that the type of paint used isn’t (too) slippery, and I think we’ve dealt with those issues incidentally, but we want to make sure they’re not a distraction,” Silver mentioned.

If something, Silver mentioned, the colorful courts — which, anecdotally, followers have complained about when watching IST video games on tv as a result of the colour schemes have been too extreme, like watching soccer on Boise State’s blue soccer subject — may very well be much more inventive. He additionally mentioned the use of particular courts in the course of the IST has given him concepts about doing one thing comparable in the course of the NBA Finals.

“For the Finals, we could have a special Finals court — not just with the (Larry O’Brien) trophy in the center, but a little bit more colorful,” Silver mentioned.

Silver mentioned followers have communicated to him that: “If they’re not at home or in a sports bar or somewhere and they see the color from the court, it signifies there’s something different going on.” He mentioned gamers from each the Lakers and Pacers instructed him Friday they “appreciated … that the different color courts signified that the game was special.”

Silver mentioned the opposite most controversial part of his IST — utilizing level differentials as a tiebreaker — could be below overview. The league may also think about changes to how and when future IST video games are scheduled, however famous that the semifinal Thursday between the Bucks and Pacers — which began at 2 p.m. in Las Vegas — enabled followers in Europe to have the ability to watch the sport comfortably.

If groups completed with the identical document in IST pool play, a tiebreaker was decided utilizing the margins of victory or defeat.

“I’m not ready to necessarily move away from it, but if ultimately there’s going to be a sense, particularly from our American fans, that it somehow is an indication of poor sportsmanship, that’s not a good idea for us to be doing it,” Silver mentioned.

Silver mentioned his event was in style with the gamers in half as a result of of the prize cash — $500,000 for the champion, $200,000 for the runner up — in addition to the placement (Vegas, child) and since of the heightened degree of competitors.

“I should say, also, players like LeBron (James), Steph (Curry), other leading veterans in this league embracing this from day one, that makes a big difference with the players, too,” Silver mentioned.

Silver additionally mentioned that there have been preliminary discussions round naming one thing concerned with the IST — just like the trophy or the event MVP — after Silver’s predecessor, the late David Stern.

“There were some who felt that (the IST) wasn’t big enough (to honor Stern),” Silver mentioned. “Maybe after the reception here (that could change)? We’ve been struggling a little bit because there’s plenty of things we can do to honor him. But I think everyone in the NBA community wants to make sure that they’re sufficient to take into account the enormous amount he contributed to the game.”