There was a lot of talk about whether or not the team that won the NBA In-Season Tournament would reveal a banner. For organizations that have never won anything, the answer seemed pretty clear. But for a franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers, one that has won 17 NBA championships, many weren't sure if it made sense to celebrate the in-season tournament. Nonetheless, the Lakers celebrated the fact that they won the very first in-season tournament, revealing a special banner to honor LeBron James and Co. on Monday night before their game against the New York Knicks.

Prior to tipoff, the Lakers held a quick ceremony to commemorate their victory, as a video tribute ran to showcase their perfect 7-0 run during the tournament. Once the curtain dropped and the new banner was revealed, perhaps nobody was more proud of this accomplishment than James.

LeBron addresses new banner

“I think it's awesome,” LeBron said when asked about the in-season tournament celebration, via ESPN, “To be able to acknowledge wins throughout the course of a marathon, I think that's pretty cool. That's the first, the inauguration of it. We were able to win it. So, for our fans that didn't get an opportunity to be in Vegas, they got an opportunity to kind of share that celebration with us tonight, share that moment, something that will live on forever for sure here. So, it was a good moment.”

This was a great moment for the Lakers and their fans to celebrate together, as winning the very first NBA In-Season Tournament is certainly an accomplishment for this historic Lakers franchise. However, they were unable to end the night on a good note, as Los Angeles fell 114-109, moving to 15-12 on the season and just 1-3 since winning this championship earlier in the month. James finished the game with 25 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds, the 109th triple-double of his illustrious career.

With all the celebration stemming from the in-season tournament out of the way, the Lakers are prepared to focus on the bigger picture at hand. This early in-season tournament success and banner has given the Lakers hope and confidence that they can win another title, which is why LeBron James is prepared to steer the ship in the right direction.

“We want to finish out December the right way,” James stated. “Obviously, it's been a killer for us with the travel and games and things of that nature. There is no rest for the weary. We just got to mentally stay locked in and get ready for Chicago first.”

The Lakers will now embark on a three-game road trip beginning on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls before heading home for what should be a thrilling Christmas Day matchup with the Boston Celtics.