It's always a challenge to introduce new ideas to spice up proceedings in professional sports, as athletes are creatures of habit and tradition. So when the NBA introduced the In-Season Tournament, not everyone was a fan. It felt gimmicky, and it felt like the league was just scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to giving players more incentives to take the regular season more seriously. Even Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant wasn't too big of a fan of the new competition at first.

But now that the NBA In-Season Tournament has proof of concept, fans and players are starting to love the NBA's newest competition. Durant is included among those players who are now convinced of the merits of its introduction, with the Suns star lauding the intensity of the games in the tournament, even backing the Los Angeles Lakers to win it all.

“The intensity of these games has been incredible. I wasn’t a fan but now I’m a huge fan of the In-Season tournament,” Durant told reporters in the locker room after the Suns' 106-103 loss to the Lakers that eliminated them from NBA Cup contention, via Malika Andrews of ESPN.

Indeed, the NBA's mission to incentivize players (with a cash-prize ladder and a chance to win some additional silverware) early on in the season appears to be working. On Tuesday night, the Suns and Lakers showed how competitive the tournament can be, with Kevin Durant and LeBron James each putting up 31 points to lead their respective squads in a tight contest that's now defined by a late-game timeout controversy.

Aside from the Lakers and Suns, the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics' quarterfinals matchup was also so thrilling to watch. The Pacers were overwhelmed with joy when they booked their trip to Las Vegas, which goes to show that the NBA is succeeding in giving what are otherwise humdrum regular season games in November and December some added spice.

Even though others still aren't fond of the NBA In-Season Tournament, it sure does seem like this is a competition that's here to stay given its success in its inaugural season.