The second edition of the in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup, begins on Tuesday. Over the next several weeks, all 30 NBA teams will compete in four group-stage games, with the goal of advancing to the knockout rounds and ultimately vying for the championship on Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In the inaugural NBA Cup, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the title, but their early exit in the 2024 playoffs highlighted a key distinction: peaking in a single-elimination tournament in December is quite different from sustaining success in the postseason.
On the other hand, the Indiana Pacers, who were last year’s NBA Cup runners-up, used their strong tournament performance as a springboard for the rest of the season. Their unexpected Cup success helped fuel a deep playoff run, culminating in a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were ultimately eliminated by the Boston Celtics, the eventual champions.
