The NBA is kicking off the new season with a wave of excitement, for this being the new in-season NBA tournament. This new addition is making fans eager to see the showcased talents of all the teams within a condensed time.
The tournament takes place in November.
New things being added to professional sports are rarely introduced, whether this be expansion teams, new events, or even new playoff systems. The NBA in-season tournament falls under this category, making it a must-watch as we head into November.
Many fans question what the NBA in-season tournament is.
The tournament consists of two main parts: group play and knockout rounds. All thirty NBA teams are placed randomly within five different groups within their respective conference. This is all based on their win-loss record dating back to the 2022-23 season. Each team plays the opponents placed in their group once, making it a pool game. The group games are sporadic throughout November, mixing into each team’s normal season. To add on, each pool game counts for their overall record. Once group play ends, knock-out rounds begin. The winners of each pool are given a seeding based on record within their groups. Once the six pool winners are solidified, two wild cards are chosen based on second-place teams in their groups. The one seed will play the wildcards to start, followed by the two and three seeds competing against each other next. Each game is a single elimination until the winner is crowned.
Now that we know a little more about the contest, people still have questions. One of these questions is the whole point of why the NBA introduced it in the first place. The NBA introduced the in-season tournament to inject new energy and excitement into the NBA regular season. The commissioners acknowledged the long 82-game season didn’t keep fans engaged long enough and ultimately wanted to make fans stay and watch as the season progresses forward.
The fan experience isn’t the only factor in why they added this event.
Knowing teams within the NBA, the league made it irresistible for teams to tank and throw games away during this time. Despite the bragging rights of being crowned the winners, teams and players also secure and win a cash prize for themselves and their team. Each placement within the knock-out rounds is given cash prizes for making it past group play. If eliminated in the quarterfinals, teams are granted fifty thousand dollars. If teams make it past the quarterfinals but lose in the semi-finals, they are granted one hundred thousand dollars. The championship rounds add up to a total of seven hundred thousand dollars. The runner-up was gifted two hundred thousand dollars, and the champion earned five hundred thousand dollars.
With this all in mind, I hope fans are just as excited as I am to watch the tournament unfold.
