THE NBA’s in-season tournament has been dubbed “the FA Cup of basketball” by sports fans in Europe – and it’s easy to see why.
Commissioner Adam Silver has delivered a December gift to hoops fans with this competition.
The NBA Cup is in it’s second season and has already proved a massive hit.
A major sponsorship deal with Emirates has been agreed and it will be part of a lucrative new TV deal next season, too.
By sheer coincidence, the Middle East airline is also title sponsor of The Emirates FA Cup in England.
European influence in the NBA has been growing over the years with more and more of the league’s superstars coming from the continent.
The likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic would’ve all grown up with the worldwide version of football in their lives.
And they would’ve all seen the teams fight for a secondary prize alongside the league championship.
Such a concept is unheard of in US professional sports – and Silver has always been fascinated by the concept.
The commissioner had instant buy-in from the players and that was key.
A trip to Las Vegas in December and a cash prize of $500,000 for the winners got the league’s stars to sit up and take note.
Games that are part of the NBA Cup, whether in the league stage or knockout, have more riding on them and that intensity comes across on TV screens.
There is a playoff feel to these showdowns which fans don’t usually get to experience until April.
The concept of single-elimination knockout competitions works so well in college sports with March Madness.
It’s also added new life to the College Football Playoff with 12 teams in the race from this season.
The NBA is the first of the four major US sports leagues to experiment with this outside of the playoffs and it’s worked a treat.
Timing is also key.
The NBA Cup returned for a second season this year with the finals once again set to take place in Las Vegas.
The 30 teams were split into six groups of five teams each with games taking place on Tuesdays and Fridays from November 12 to December 3.
The six group winners and two best wild cards advance to a quarterfinals stage on December 10 and 11.
And the final four head to Las Vegas for the semifinals on December 14 and the final on December 17.
All games count towards the team’s regular-season record, apart from the championship game.
The league has selected a part of the calendar when there is usually a lull in proceedings.
After the season begins in late October, not many games have much riding on them until Christmas Day.
All of a sudden, games in November and the first couple weeks of December have massive implications and get fans excited to watch basketball during a period where they might just be checking scores and highlights.
It’s early days for the NBA Cup but it’s already made a place for itself in the US sports calendar.
Silver and the NBA’s job will be to make sure it doesn’t become as novel as a trip to Las Vegas.
