Shortly after the Lakers claimed the NBA Cup by defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the tourney final, it wasn’t clear if they would hang a banner to commemorate that win.

Plenty of people have criticized or even mocked the Lakers for hanging that banner. But while on the #thisleague “UNCUT” podcast, Chris Haynes seemed to confirm a suspicion some may have had that the league urged or even pressured the organization to put up the banner (h/t Silver Screen and Roll).

“I wasn’t sure they would do it but I know the league really wanted any team who won the in-season tournament, they wanted the team to do something to kind of say that this is a big deal. I know that the Lakers had a little bit of pressure. I don’t know to what extent but I know the Lakers felt a little bit of pressure to do something.”

Winning the NBA Cup may mean a fraction of what winning the actual NBA championship has always meant, but the in-season tourney seems poised to become a permanent part of the league’s annual schedule.