The NBA Cup (the league’s in-season tournament) started with its inaugural edition in the 2023–24 NBA season, with group-stage games tipping off in early November 2023 and the first championship game played in December 2023.

Quick Scoop

  • The NBA officially announced the launch of its new in-season tournament, now branded as the NBA Cup, in July 2023.
  • The first NBA Cup games were scheduled for November 2023 as part of the regular season calendar, rather than as a separate postseason event.
  • The inaugural NBA Cup title was claimed by the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated the Indiana Pacers in the first-ever final held in Las Vegas in December 2023.

Why it was introduced

  • The league introduced the NBA Cup to add playoff-style intensity and a new trophy to the middle of the long regular season.
  • It was also designed to create more nationally relevant games earlier in the year, boosting fan engagement and TV interest before the traditional playoff push.

Ongoing today

  • The 2025 edition is referred to as the third annual NBA Cup, confirming that the event has run every season since it began in 2023.
  • It now has a set window on the calendar in late October and November, with knockout rounds and a final in December each year.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.