NBA in-season tournament ‘NBA Cup’ to debut in November 2023

2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Explained!

On Saturday, the NBA officially introduced its inaugural in-season tournament called the “NBA Cup,” commencing on November 3, 2023.

The tournament will conclude in a championship game held in Las Vegas on December 9, 2023, with a prize pool of around $18 million.

The NBA Cup is designed to give teams a competitive incentive during the regular season. NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed his long-awaited enthusiasm for the tournament as it has been a work in progress for years.

“It’s not a new concept in sports. For those that follow particularly international soccer, it’s a long tradition of having in-season tournaments,” Silver said.

“So we thought, what a perfect opportunity for a global league like the NBA and it’s a perfect fit for our game.”

Adam Silver, NBA commissioner

Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson supports the tournament concept, seeing the potential benefits. As a soccer fan, he understands Silver’s comparisons regarding in-season tournaments in other sports.

“I can see what the aim could be,” he said. “It gives you another chance to win something, for real. I think that’s a big part.”

Joe Dumars, the league’s executive vice president of basketball operations and a Hall of Famer, asserted that players would eventually embrace the tournament idea over time. Dumars acknowledges that not everyone will immediately buy into it.

NBA Cup tournament details

The in-season tournament games will start on November 3, mostly on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout November. However, there will be no games on November 7 to honor Election Day. The tournament’s semifinal and final rounds will take place in Las Vegas.

The upcoming 2023-24 NBA schedule will consist of 80 games per team, with the official release expected in the coming weeks.

In December, two additional games, Game 81 and Game 82, will be included in the schedule. Teams not qualifying for the knockout stage will have two games against other non-knockout qualifiers.

In the knockout stage, the quarterfinals will be the 81st game for the eight qualifying teams, while the quarterfinals’ losers and the semifinalists — two from each conference — will play the 82nd games. The championship game will be the 83rd game for the final two teams.

NBA Cup group composition

The teams in the in-season tournament have been divided into five-team groups. Each team will face the other teams in their group once. The top six group winners and the two best second-place teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

The NBA has organized the six groups into three West Groups and three East Groups. Here are the teams in each group:

WEST

Group A

– Memphis Grizzlies

– Phoenix Suns

– Los Angeles Lakers

– Utah Jazz

– Portland Trail Blazers

Group B

– Denver Nuggets

– Los Angeles Clippers

– New Orleans Pelicans

– Dallas Mavericks

– Houston Rockets

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

Group B

– Milwaukee Bucks

– New York Knicks

– Miami Heat

– Washington Wizards

– Charlotte Hornets

Group C

– Boston Celtics

– Brooklyn Nets

– Toronto Raptors

– Chicago Bulls

– Orlando Magic

NBA Cup prize pool

Players participating in the NBA Cup will receive specific tournament payouts. Winners earn $500,000 per player, while runner-up team members receive $200,000 each.

Semifinal and quarterfinal losers will get $100,000 and $50,000 per player, respectively. Two-way players can receive up to half of these amounts, proportionate to their participation in tournament games while on any of these teams.

It’s important to note that the championship game will not impact the standings or individual player records, as the teams will only compete for prize money and the coveted trophy.