In every professional sport, teams battle for the ultimate prize: a championship trophy.
Even for people that are not sports fans, most would recognize the names of these final competitions, such as the Super Bowl, the World Series, the World Cup, the Stanley Cup Final, and the NBA Finals. All of these mark the professional teams’ ultimate goal during the season: to make it far enough to vie for the trophy. So why all of the sudden, does the NBA have a second competition where players compete for a prize, and why midseason? The answer has to do with player motivation, and more significantly, interest from the fans.
The NBA season occurs throughout six months of the year, with all thirty teams in the league playing eighty-two games. Each team plays about three to four games in a typical week, with some teams playing games during back to back nights. This schedule can become mundane after several weeks of teams taking games “one at a time” to build momentum for the championship. The tedious schedule can lead to burn out and a lull in interest from fans during the mid season stretch. As a result, NBA commissioner Adam Silver worked with team owners and leadership groups throughout the league to develop a solution: The In-Season Tournament.
How the Tournament Works.
Commencing in 2023, the In-Season tournament consists of participation from all thirty teams. Six groups of five teams are created, with three groups dividing up the Eastern Conference, and three groups dividing the Western Conference. Then each group of five teams play in a Round Robin tournament, so that each team in the group gets an opportunity to play the four others in their group. The winner of each group (determined by a win/loss record) along with two wildcard teams, move on to a knockout bracket. This round of the tournament is single elimination, meaning that once a team loses a game, they are out of the competition. The teams play in this round until there are only four left. Then those four teams travel to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals, which will take place on December 13th. The two victors of the semi games move on to the championship game, which will be held on December 16th. The winner of the NBA Cup Final is crowned the In-Season Tournament champion, and are provided the Cup Trophy, along with several other team benefits.
How the Tournament has Boosted Motivation.
The first appeal of the In-Season tournament is that it allows arenas to unveil vibrant courts with colorful designsthat have never been seen before by fans. These courts not only provide an animated environment for teams to play in, but it also boosts social media engagement, and increases fan morale when new designs are released online.
The players themselves also receive financial incentives for their success during the tournament. Each of the eight teams that make it to the knock-out round are guaranteed to receive bonuses, with teams that were knocked out in the quarterfinals receiving $51,497, semi final knocked-out players receiving $102,994, and with runners up of the championship game receiving $205,988. The players that win the championship, along with the cup trophy, receive a large bonus of $514,971. This prize is a huge motivation boost for players, as Taureen Prince, a Milwaukee Bucks forward (Champions of the 2024 NBA Cup) explained that, “this is real money that could buy these guys’ families’ their first house…”
The tournament also has peaked fan interest by giving people something to root for, bet on, and host gatherings to cheer on their favorite team in high competition. The tournament fills the void of a boring mid-season, where every team is churning away at improving their record before playoffs.
The 2025 NBA Cup Teams.
As of today, the 2025 In-Season tournament is in the midst of the eight team knockout round. In the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks, the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat make up four of the eight teams that will suit up for the quarterfinals. As for the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Phoenix Suns make up the other teams that will vie for a spot in the championship. The third annual NBA Cup Championship will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 16th, and I am very excited to see which team emerges victorious!