The Spire

Ben Paradis ’28

Staff Writer

On Tuesday, November 12, the Emirates NBA Cup tipped off. This is the second annual NBA Cup – a new round-robin, single game elimination, in-season tournament. The NBA Cup consists of two stages: the Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. 

In group play, all 30 teams are drawn into groups of five within their respective conferences. The groups are based on win-loss records from the previous season, creating six equally formidable groups. Within these groups, teams play four “pool games” against each other. Each team plays two games at home and two games on the road, and faces each team in their group once. 

After all pool games have finished, eight teams will be selected to move on to the knockout round. The six teams that have the best record in their respective groups will move on, along with two “wild card” teams. One wild card team will be chosen from both the Eastern and Western Conference, being the best teams, based upon overall record during the regular season, that did not win their group. 

The Knockout Round is a bracket-style tournament, with each round being a single elimination game. In the first round, the higher seed in each matchup will receive a home-court advantage. The semifinals and championship rounds will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Each player on the winning team will receive $500,000 and the team will be rewarded with the NBA Cup Trophy. 

In group play, each team will play on a unique court that is much different than their typical floor. Many courts have symbolic features of their respective city, paying homage to their respective culture or history. Others offer bold colors and new aesthetics that differ heavily from each team’s traditional style. 

The goal of introducing the NBA Cup has been to increase the competitiveness of the early-season games, as fans have often felt much of the 82-game season to be unimportant. NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, has stressed wanting to create a March Madness-esque environment with heightened intensity surrounding each game. For the players, it offers a chance to put some more cash in their pockets and prove their team is ready to make a playoff run – even if it is early in the season. 

Overall, it seems like Adam Silver’s goal has been successful. Fans have been excited to see the new courts revealed, and some are even left bitter that they didn’t take home the trophy last year. It has been a hit with the players as well, as several stars like LeBron James and Damian Lillard commented on the intense, playoff-like atmosphere surrounding the games. 

Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Cup, but went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs in April. The eventual NBA Finals Champion Boston Celtics lost in the first round of the NBA Cup. Based on just one year, it does not seem like the NBA Cup is a good predictor of who will make a run come playoff time. With that being said, teams will still be eager to prove they are not to be taken lightly through the rest of the season. If nothing else, with the intense atmosphere, new courts, and half a million dollars on the line, it will certainly create some excitement around the NBA. 

Featured image courtesy of NBA.com