On Dec. 9, Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers made NBA history as they stood victorious against the Indiana Pacers winning 123-109. Lebron James was also crowned MVP of the first-ever In-season tournament, dropping 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals that game.

For those who don’t know how the In-season tournament works; every year, all 30 teams in the NBA are randomly drawn into different groups where they compete in group stages until eight teams are remaining. The team that stands victorious will win the NBA Cup, a new cup specifically for this tournament. Along with a 500,000-dollar cash reward to each player on the team.

While James was the center of attention, Anthony Davis was having quite a game as well. He finished with 41 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, and five blocks. Davis and James had a combined 65 points together during that final. 

“We know each other’s tendencies, what we like to do. Obviously, in crunch time, we get to our infamous pick-and-roll and it’s tough to stop” Anthony Davis said after his interplay with James. 

The Lakers were on fire this tournament. They were the only team in the NBA to go undefeated with a perfect record of 7-0 in the tournament. They blitzed through many teams like the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Utah Jazz in the group stages. They defeated Kevin Durant and the Suns once again in the Quarterfinals by merely three points (106-103). 

The Lakers unveiled a black-and-gold banner nestled near the franchise’s 17 NBA championship banners on Monday night before they hosted the Knicks.

Although their performance in the tournament is one to remember, their job is not finished. The Lakers only played 29 out of the 82 games in the regular season. And if they want to go for their 18th franchise championship, they’ll have to play like they did in the In-season tournament.