LeBron James, Anthony Davis highlight first In-Season All-Tournament team
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Haliburton and Kevin Durant also made the team

With the first In-Season Tournament coming to a close, the NBA announced an All-Tournament team for the event. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton all made the team, which was voted on by a media panel. James, Davis, Haliburton and Antetokounmpo all received 20 votes for selection, while Durant received seven, beating out Brandon Ingram (four votes) for the final spot. Other players who received votes were Nikola Jokic, De'Aaron Fox, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Myles Turner.
Players were chosen based on their performance both in group play and knockout rounds, and positions were not taken into consideration. None of these selections are entirely surprising, as James and Davis were on the winning team, with James being named tournament MVP on Saturday after the Lakers beat the Pacers to claim the first NBA Cup. Davis' performance in the championship game alone could've earned him a spot on this team after he dropped 41 points, 20 rebounds and five assists on 16-for-24 shooting from the floor.
Antetokounmpo also put up huge performances for the Bucks, who went 4-0 in group play and beat the Knicks in the quarterfinals before falling to the Pacers in the semifinals. In those two knockout games, Antetokounmpo averaged 36 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists and shot a ridiculous 68.3% from the field.
Haliburton had some of the best performances over the course of the in-season tournament. He became the only player in NBA history to record 50+ points and 25+ assists without turning the ball over during a two-game span, in wins against the Celtics and Bucks. What's even more impressive is he did that while shooting 56.8% from the field and 40% from deep. They were two incredibly rare performances from Haliburton, and although the Pacers lost in the title game to the Lakers, he and Indiana put the league on notice that they're going to be a threat once the playoffs roll around.
Given the wide range in voting for the fifth spot it's obvious voters had a tough time deciding which player was the most deserving. There were plenty of good options to go with, but Durant ultimately won out. He was second in scoring throughout the in-season tournament, averaging 34.5 points as well as 7.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists on a Suns team that advanced to the knockout stage.
What really stands out about the All-Tournament team is that it includes star players from top to bottom. One of the worries about the In-Season Tournament was getting players to buy-in on this new experiment from the league, especially in an era where load management has become a significant issue. Seeing star players perform at such a high level in the first year of this tournament is a huge win for the league and its fans as it got people to care about NBA games in November and December, something that's long been a struggle.
















