History of the NBA Cup

The NBA introduced its in-season tournament during the 2023-24 season. The competition was originally called the NBA In-Season Tournament and began on November 3, 2023. All 30 NBA teams participated while continuing to play their normal regular-season schedule.

The concept gave the league a second major team competition in addition to the traditional NBA playoffs and NBA Finals. Most tournament games also counted as regular-season games, meaning teams were competing for both their normal place in the standings and a chance to advance in the tournament.

The first tournament divided the league into six groups of five teams: three groups from the Eastern Conference and three from the Western Conference. Each team played four Group Play games, facing every other team in its group once. Every team played two games at home and two on the road.

The groups were created using the teams' records from the previous season. Teams were placed into different competitive pots before being drawn into their groups, helping prevent one group from being loaded entirely with the league's best or worst teams.

Eight teams advanced from Group Play to the Knockout Rounds. The quarterfinals were played in NBA team markets, with the higher-seeded team hosting. The semifinals and championship game of the inaugural tournament were played in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Beginning with the second edition, the competition became known as the NBA Cup. Emirates became the title sponsor, making the official name the Emirates NBA Cup.

Group Play games count toward each team's regular-season record in addition to determining its NBA Cup standing. The Knockout Rounds begin with eight qualifying teams and use a single-elimination format, so one loss ends a team's Cup run.

The championship game is treated differently from the other tournament games because it does not count toward the participating teams' regular-season records.

Because the NBA still must provide every team with its full regular-season schedule, additional games are added for teams that do not advance to the later Knockout Rounds.

Through the first three editions of the tournament, no franchise has won the NBA Cup more than once. The Lakers, Bucks and Knicks each won one championship.

The first three tournament MVPs were also three different players: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jalen Brunson.

The first three championship games also featured six different franchises: the Lakers, Pacers, Bucks, Thunder, Knicks and Spurs.

In addition to naming a tournament MVP, the NBA selects an All-NBA Cup Team recognizing the top performers from the competition. The selections take into account performances during both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.

For the complete year-by-year list of selections, visit the All IST Team page.

Reaction to the inaugural tournament was mixed when the format was first introduced. Some fans enjoyed having meaningful games early in the regular season, while others questioned whether players and fans would place much importance on a new competition.

The unusual tournament courts, point-differential tiebreakers and single-elimination games generated considerable discussion during the first season. As the tournament progressed, the elimination games created a different atmosphere from an ordinary November or December regular-season game.

The first tournament also created logistical challenges. Because additional regular-season games for teams that failed to advance could not be finalized until Group Play ended, teams, media members and fans sometimes had limited time to arrange travel, hotels and other plans. This was especially noticeable during the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The NBA continued the event after its first season and established it as an annual competition. The league also adopted the NBA Cup name, giving the tournament an identity separate from the traditional NBA playoffs and NBA championship.

Winning the NBA Cup is separate from winning the NBA championship. The Cup is decided during the regular season through Group Play and a short single-elimination tournament. The NBA championship is decided after the regular season through the traditional NBA playoffs and NBA Finals.

An NBA Cup championship therefore does not count as an NBA Finals championship or add to a franchise's total number of NBA titles. It is a separate competition and trophy.

The tournament gives teams another championship to pursue and creates higher-stakes games during the early portion of the regular season. Rather than adding an entirely separate block of games, the NBA built the competition largely into the existing regular-season schedule.

The format also creates matchups with immediate consequences well before the traditional playoff race reaches its final months. Point differential, group standings and head-to-head results can determine which teams advance, giving otherwise ordinary early-season games an additional competitive purpose.

The NBA Cup entered its fourth edition in 2026 after producing three different champions in its first three seasons. The competition remains built around Group Play followed by eight-team single-elimination Knockout Rounds.

The tournament has also continued to evolve. While Las Vegas played a major role in the first editions, the 2026 NBA Cup Championship is scheduled for Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, showing that the league is willing to change the presentation and location of the event while keeping the basic tournament structure.

When did the NBA Cup begin?
The competition began during the 2023-24 season as the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Who won the first NBA In-Season Tournament?
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in 2023.

Who was the first tournament MVP?
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.

How many teams participate?
All 30 NBA teams participate in Group Play.

How many teams advance to the Knockout Rounds?
Eight teams advance from Group Play.

Do NBA Cup games count in the regular-season standings?
Most do. Group Play and most Knockout Round games also count as regular-season games. The NBA Cup Championship does not count toward the regular-season record.

Does an NBA Cup count as an NBA championship?
No. The NBA Cup and the NBA Finals championship are separate competitions.

Who has won the NBA Cup?
The Los Angeles Lakers won in 2023, the Milwaukee Bucks won in 2024, and the New York Knicks won in 2025.