Climax Theory
The NBA’s In-Season Tournament is a bet on the power of an exciting new peak
This NBA season spans 268 days — about nine months, from the NBA’s first media day to NBA Finals Game 7.
Nine months are a slog. Ask my wife, the mom of two girls. Even worse, my own mother had to wait three weeks past her due date for me to pop out. Sorry, Mom!
Speaking of overdue, the NBA finally decided to do something about its long, slow trudge around the calendar. The league realized that something new and exciting early in the season might do wonders to break up the monotony.
So far, the NBA’s In-Season Tournament looks like a good bet — a bet on narrative, and the power of building to a climax.
Creating a new climax
People say the NBA’s In-Season Tournament is about a lot of things: