Former Boston Celtics forward and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell mocked the Los Angeles Lakers for hanging an NBA In-Season Tournament banner this season.
The Lakers won the league’s first ever In-Season Tournament, defeating the Indiana Pacers in the title game. The team had previously only raised banners for NBA championships, but decided to raise a banner for the In-Season Tournament title.
Maxwell shared his thoughts on the team’s decision in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
“Oh, wait a minute,” Maxwell said. “They got their 18th banner right there! (points to the IST banner). Is that it? I’m asking you. Is that it? Didn’t they stop the game so they could bring it up and unveil it? What’s that?”
While Maxwell may not agree with the Lakers’ decision to raise an In-Season Tournament banner, the team may have made a good decision for the NBA as a whole.
Commissioner Adam Silver – and the rest of the league’s decision-makers – clearly want the In-Season Tournament to be something that matters to players, franchises and fan bases.
Had the Lakers opted not to acknowledge their In-Season Tournament title in any way, it may have sent a bad message to the rest of the NBA that winning the In-Season Tournament doesn’t really matter.
If the league wants to get fans to care about who wins the tournament season after season, then having a premier franchise like the Lakers honor it is a good start.
Still, Maxwell took a shot at the Lakers and their fans.
“Whatever floats their boat,” Maxwell said. “If you’re a Fakers fan, whatever floats your boat.”
Maxwell played for the Celtics from the 1977-78 season through the 1984-85 campaign. He also spent time in his NBA career playing for the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets.
While the Lakers may be getting pushback from a former player like Maxwell, the team shouldn’t be shamed for winning the In-Season Tournament.
Los Angeles won every single game in group stage play of the tournament before beating the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans and Pacers to win it all.
The team simply outplayed the rest of the league in the tournament, something the franchise should be proud of.
While the Lakers’ decision to raise a banner hasn’t been met with unanimous support, the team and its fans might want to tune out the opinion of a former rival like Maxwell.
Right now, Los Angeles is focused on getting back to the NBA Finals to raise yet another banner in Crypto.com Arena.
