The NBA is trying to bring more excitement for millions of fans around the world and, as a consequence, the new in-season tournament is now a reality. It’s a huge gamble made by commissioner, Adam Silver, in order to keep basketball as one of the most watched sports globally.
“Throughout all sports, we are seeing new innovations. Now is the time for this NBA in-season tournament. This is a concept that has been rumbling around the league office for around 15 years. It’s a perfect opportunity for a global league like the NBA and a perfect fit for our game.”
Silver expects the in-season tournament to become a new great tradition in the NBA and the spectacular format and groups have been revealed. The details are just incredible. Stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry will be there.
What’s the NBA in-season tournament?
Thenew NBA in-season tournament will have five groups of six teams each. Three of those groups will have only teams from the West and the other three sectors only teams from the East.
In that first stage, each team will play once against all the other rivals in the group. Then, the winner of each group will advance to the knockout stages and also the two best remaining teams from each conference. It’s a pretty similar format as the FIBA World Cup or some European competitions.
Group 1: Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.
Group 2: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets.
Group 3: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic.
Group 4: Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers.
Group 5: Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.
Group 6: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs
When is the NBA in-season tournament?
The group stage matchups of the NBA in-season tournament are scheduled for November 3, November 10, November 14, November 17, November 21, November 24 and November 28.
The six group winners and the best teams of each conference which didn’t finish first in the initial round will go the knockout stage. The quarterfinals will be on December 4 and December 5, the semifinals will be on December 7 and the final will be on December 9.
What will be the prize for winning the NBA in-season tournament?
The incentive for the players will be monetary in order to get their best performances on the court. $500k for each player on the championship team, $250k for the runner-up, $100k for the semifinals and $50k for the quarterfinals.
No team will advance to the NBA playoffs in case they win the NBA Cup (in-season tournament). The reward will be only financial for the players in this first edition.