The NBA announced Wednesday it is adding an in-season tournament to its regular schedule for 2023-24.
The league, which has reportedly weighed the idea for years, is waiting until Saturday to reveal full details about the tourney. But sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski it will culminate in a “Final Four” in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 and 9.
The tournament will open with a group stage, with three groups per conference and six total. Each team will play four games.
The winning teams will advance to a single-elimination knockout stage, along with two other teams that have the best winning percentage among teams that didn’t win their group.
It will all lead up to a championship game, where the winning team’s players will bank $500,000 each. Players’ statistics in the tournament will be added to their regular-season totals. However, the championship game won’t count toward the regular-season record.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in remarks earlier this year, said the tournament would feature different uniforms and possible changes to the court, as well.
He promised fans will “be intrigued” by the tournament and said it takes a page from European soccer, a sport where multiple cups take place during the season.
“We think taking nothing away from the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and the ultimate goal of winning a championship, that you can create another competition within the season that becomes meaningful,” Silver said. “And there’s a recognition that new traditions are not built overnight.”