What Is the NBA Cup?

The NBA Cup has been a fun addition to the regular season with its colourful courts and single-elimination knockout phase. 

Teams with long sports betting odds to win the Finals can get their hands on a trophy in the first half of the campaign. 

Given the prize money available, there are higher stakes for players when NBA Cup games are taking place. 

There are extra factors to consider when looking to bet on basketball, including the point differential tiebreakers and the intensifying of rivalries, like the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, which can lead to game-altering ejections and hostile home crowds. 

What Is the Emirates NBA Cup?

The Emirates NBA Cup is a tournament held during the NBA regular season. 

Discussed for several years prior to its introduction in 2023-24, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been looking for ways to increase interest in the regular season. The concept is similar to cup competitions, which are commonplace in soccer. 

How Does the NBA Cup Work?

The 30 NBA teams are split into six groups for the first round of the NBA Cup. There are three groups in each conference. Every team plays once against each team in their group, with two home games and two away games.

There are designated “Cup Nights” during the regular season for these games. 

All six group winners advanced to the quarterfinals. They are joined by a wild-card team from each conference, which is the second-placed team with the best record. Point differential is used as a tiebreaker for teams in different groups. 

The teams with the two best records in each conference host the quarterfinals. The team with the best record during the group stage hosts the wild-card team.

A neutral site is used for the semifinal and final on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17, respectively. Las Vegas will host the final two rounds in 2024, as it did for the inaugural tournament in 2023. 

The winning team lifts the NBA Cup. All players involved in the knockout rounds receive prize money as follows, according to USA Today: 

• Losing quarterfinalists: $51,497
• Losing semifinalists: $102,994
• Runners-up: $205,988
• Winners: $514,970

Who Won the NBA Cup Last Year?

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Cup in the 2023-24 campaign. 

LeBron James became the first player to win NBA Cup MVP. 

The Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the final. Neither team was among the pretournament favourites in NBA In-Season Tournament odds, but both rosters embraced the new competition. 

Why Is the NBA Doing an In-Season Tournament?

The NBA added the In-Season Tournament to increase fan and player interest in the first part of the regular season. Of course, this is also a way to generate more revenue by selling broadcasting rights to elimination games in the winter months. 

The chance to win a trophy and significant prize money is a way to motivate players during the slog of the 82-game regular season. 

Do NBA In-Season Tournament Games Count?

Yes, NBA In-Season Tournament games count towards regular-season records. 

Group stage games, quarterfinals, and semifinals count toward the regular season standings. Player and team statistics are included in regular season data. The championship game does not count toward the regular season. 

During the knockout phase, the 22 teams which did not qualify will play standard regular-season games. The NBA uses a “formulaic approach” to decide the schedule for this period. The four losing quarterfinalists will play each other in the regular season on Dec. 12, 13, 15, or 16.