After years of discussion, the NBA is finally launching its In-Season Tournament this year, where teams will compete in groups with regular season games doubling as tournament games until they reach the semifinals and finals, which will be played in Las Vegas in December.
The league is excited about the concept, but the response from fans has been a bit tepid and it’s probably going to take a little bit of time to make it something fans really start to care about. For this year, the NBA is doing its best to get people excited for the inaugural tournament, and they’re leaning into the Vegas aspect to promote it. On Tuesday night, during TNT’s opening night games, the NBA debuted a delightful new “Heist” spot featuring Michael Imperioli and a number of NBA stars lurking around a Vegas casino trying to steal the In-Season trophy.
As someone whose favorite movies are the Ocean’s flicks, this hits the sweet spot for me. Seeing Kawhi Leonard slinking around a Vegas kitchen in a black beanie and some glasses, while Draymond Green goes full Malloy brothers pushing a cash cart with the trophy in it really hits all the finer points — really it’s a combination of the Malloy’s in 11 and Rusty Ryan in 13, but I digress.
I already was a fan of the In-Season tournament, as anything to add a little spice to the long NBA regular season is a good thing in my eyes and, despite being new, I think guys are going to care about it because it’s something to compete for. But with this commercial? I’m all in and will be contemplating the full NBA/Ocean’s crossover universe.