On Saturday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed exciting new details about the inaugural in-season tournament during NBACon in Las Vegas. This tournament has been a long-awaited desire for Silver, as it allows players to compete for a coveted trophy during the regular season.
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With a substantial prize pool of approximately $18 million, the tournament will culminate in a championship game held in Las Vegas on December 9, 2023.
NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, expressed enthusiasm about introducing this marquee event to enhance and innovate the NBA season structure.
The newly established annual in-season tournament featuring all 30 NBA teams. This exciting competition draws inspiration from the concept of European soccer teams participating in the renowned Champions League amidst their ongoing seasons.
The In-Season Tournament is scheduled to kick off on Friday, November 3, with games held in the respective NBA team markets. The semifinals and the highly anticipated championship game will be hosted as the tournament progresses at the prestigious T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The semifinals are set to take place on Thursday, December 7, followed by the grand finale on Saturday, December 9.
The tournament aims to offer players and teams another avenue for competition, uniquely engage fans, and generate increased interest early in the regular season schedule.
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While the championship game will not impact the regular season standings, the tournament standings will take into account the regular season games leading up to the tournament.
A video shared by the NBA revealed that the tournament will commence with group play, with all 30 teams divided into six groups—three from the Eastern Conference and three from the Western Conference.
The groupings are as follows:
West Group A: Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers
West Group B: Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
West Group C: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
East Group A: Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons
East Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets
East Group C: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic
Match-ups between teams will be determined by a random drawing based on the previous year’s regular season records, ensuring each team will face every other team once.
Every team will play four games—two at home and two on the road—on Tuesdays and Fridays, starting November 3, 2023. These regular season games will also contribute to the tournament standings.
Afterward, the top three teams with the best records from each group will advance to the semi-finals, along with the two teams with the next-best records as wild cards. These eight teams will then compete in a single-elimination knockout round until only four teams remain.
The remaining four teams will progress to the Semi-Finals, set to take place in Las Vegas on December 7, culminating in the Championship game on December 9.
The winning team will be presented with the inaugural NBA Cup, accompanied by a prize of $500,000 for each player—a remarkable achievement and incentive for the participants.
You’ll check back here regularly to stay updated on the news.
