Current:Home > StocksWhy this NBA season is different: There's an in-season tournament and it starts very soon-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Why this NBA season is different: There's an in-season tournament and it starts very soon
View Date:2024-12-24 00:13:05
The eight-month marathon to determine the 2023-24 NBA champion begins tonight, but in just a few days, the NBA will start its first five-week sprint to determine another champion.
A new in-season tournament begins Nov. 3 – just 10 days into the season – with a few weeks of pool play. That leads to an eight-team single elimination playoff where the last team standing wins the NBA Cup and a pile of cash.
"Whether it’s international basketball, international soccer, individual sports here in the U.S., golf, tennis, fighting, racing – the idea of being able to win multiple things each year is a well-accepted practice. And, in fact, (it) creates very exciting competition throughout the calendar,” NBA executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics Evan Wasch said.
With football filling sports viewing time in the fall, Christmas Day has been called the unofficial start of the NBA season for the casual fan. But this year the NBA can't even avoid NFL on that day, either. Perhaps these new tournament games – scheduled on the NFL's off days – will usher in an earlier unofficial start for the league.
NBA vs. NFL on Christmas Day in 2023
How the NBA in-season tournament works
Each team plays the other four teams in their group (three groups of five teams in each conference) on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. The teams with the best records in their group plus a wildcard from each conference move to a one-week knockout round in December. The semifinals and final are Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"We think we can create another peak in the NBA calendar in December, another thing to celebrate, another thing for players, teams, fans to rally around," Wasch said.
Results from the in-season tournament games will count toward teams' regular-season records. Those teams that don't make the knockout round will play on the evenings following the quarterfinal and semifinal games. That ensures all teams play at least the usual 82 regular-season games, although some teams will have an extra home or away game.
NBA in-season tournament prize
Players on all eight teams who make it to the knockout round are guaranteed at least $50,000 each. They can earn 10 times that if they bring home the NBA Cup. A tournament MVP and all-tournament honors will also be awarded.
How the in-season teams were placed in their groups
The teams were placed in their groups somewhat randomly with a couple of key qualifiers in the selection process:
- The teams remained in their 15-team Eastern and Western conferences.
- Teams were distributed in their conferences in sets of three based on their 2022-23 records. For example, the top three teams in the East (Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers) are in different groups just as the teams with the worst records have been dispersed (Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons).
Which teams are in each in-season tournament group
NBA in-season tournament schedule
The tournament does not add games to the 82-game schedule, but it adds extra incentive for players to compete in these early-season games. And maybe it will draw a few more viewers, too. Here's an overview of the five weeks:
veryGood! (83)
Related
- RHOBH's Kyle Richards Addresses PK Kemsley Cheating Rumors in the Best Way Possible
- Egypt lashes out at extremist Israeli leaders after Netanyahu says IDF must seize Gaza-Egypt buffer zone
- Jennifer Grey's Dirty Dancing Memory of Patrick Swayze Will Lift You Up
- In-N-Out to close Oakland, California restaurant due to wave of car break-ins, armed robberies
- Stock market today: Asian stocks decline as China stimulus plan disappoints markets
- Ted Bundy tried to kill her, but she survived. Here's the one thing she's sick of being asked.
- Seattle will pay $10 million to protesters who said police used excessive force during 2020 protests
- Commission probing response to Maine mass shooting will hear from sheriff’s office
- 'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
- Claudia Schiffer's cat Chip is purr-fection at the 'Argylle' premiere in London
Ranking
- The White Stripes drop lawsuit against Donald Trump over 'Seven Nation Army' use
- A child dies after being rescued along with 59 other Syrian migrants from a boat off Cyprus
- 'Griselda' cast, release date, where to watch Sofía Vergara star as Griselda Blanco in new series
- Why 'I Am Jazz' star Jazz Jennings feels 'happier and healthier' after 70-pound weight loss
- Lululemon, Disney partner for 34-piece collection and campaign: 'A dream collaboration'
- Seattle officer’s remarks about death of graduate student from India violated policy, watchdog says
- Melanie, Emmy-winning singer-songwriter whose career launched at Woodstock, dies at 76
- South Carolina GOP governor blasts labor unions while touting economic growth in annual address
Recommendation
-
Charles Hanover: A Summary of the UK Stock Market in 2023
-
Danish report underscores ‘systematic illegal behavior’ in adoptions of children from South Korea
-
A separatist rebel leader in Ukraine who called Putin cowardly is sentenced to 4 years in prison
-
Ring drops feature that allowed police to request your doorbell video footage
-
Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
-
Report: Eagles hiring Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator one day after he leaves Dolphins
-
Montana man convicted of killing eagles is sentenced to 3 years in prison for related gun violations
-
Seattle will pay $10 million to protesters who said police used excessive force during 2020 protests