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Thursday, January 8, 2026
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    Adam Silver Expects Play-In to Become a Permanent Fixture

    • Adam Silver announced that the play-in tournament will become a staple for years to come.
    • Last year’s Lakers-Warriors play-in game garnered the largest audience for an ESPN NBA telecast since the 2019 Western Conference finals.
    By
    Apr 07, 2022 | 02:50 pm
    UPDATED Apr 07, 2022 | 03:40 pm
    Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

    Talking with reporters at a news conference in Manhattan on Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the play-in tournament will be a staple for years to come.

    “We’ll see how it goes this year, but I think it’s going to become a fixture in this league,” Silver said.

    The play-in tournament was implemented last year as the league tried to recuperate from the pandemic, which cost the NBA roughly $695 million in revenue. 

    Last year’s Lakers-Warriors play-in game drew 5.6 million viewers — the most for an ESPN NBA telecast since the 2019 Western Conference Finals.

    The NBA’s media rights in 2025 are projected to be valued at $75 billion total — over $8 billion annually.

    In addition to the play-in fixture, Silver said he doesn’t expect the NBA to move next year’s All-Star Weekend from Salt Lake City, despite Utah’s anti-transgender law. The league moved the 2017 edition from Charlotte to New Orleans for similar reasons.

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