The United States Professional Basketball League announced its first tournament parallel to the regular season, an NBA Cup that will have its final on December 9 in Las Vegas (Nevada).
The NBA Cup
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said league officials had discussed the idea for 15 years before settling on it. a format inspired by the Champions League of European football (Champions League).
“What a perfect opportunity for a global league like the NBA,” Silver said.
Silver cautioned that the enchantment with the new competition might not be instantaneous, hoping NBA fans would be patient as Cup begins.
“It takes a little bit of time to establish a new tradition,” Silver said. “In all sports we’re seeing innovations and now it’s time for this tournament to get into the season. So here we go.”
(You can read: Nikola Jokic: the story of the NBA anti-star, champion with the Denver Nuggets).
🏀 The NBA announced a new tournament with a cup format
🏀It will be held between 3/11 and 9/12
🏀 All franchises will participate
🏀There will be 6 groups with 5 teams each
🏀The winners of each zone and the two best seconds will go to the KO phase
🏀There will be Final Four in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/8gprxVlvOg— VarskySports (@VarskySports) July 9, 2023
The alphabet of the new tournament
Six groups of five teams each, three from the Eastern Conference and three from the Western Conference, were drawn, according to last season’s records.
Each team will play two home games and two away games in the group stage, facing each group opponent once. Those games will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays beginning November 3.
Three group winners and the next best overall team from each conference will advance to the knockout round of the quarterfinals.
The winners will advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas on December 7, with the championship match two nights later.
Each player on the champion team of that tournament will receive $500,000. “I’m excited,” Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
“I think it will add an element of excitement for the players, the coaches and the fans. I think it’s a great idea.”
In the Western Conference, Group A will consist of the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis, Phoenix, Utah and Portland.
Pool B will feature reigning NBA champions Denver, New Orleans, the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas and Houston, while Pool C includes Golden State, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Sacramento.
In the Eastern Conference, Group A includes Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Indiana and Detroit and Group B consists of Milwaukee, New York, Miami, Washington and Charlotte. Group C will feature Orlando, Chicago, Boston, Brooklyn and Toronto.
AFP
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