In 2023–2024, the NBA will hold its first event during the regular season. The finals will be held in Las Vegas.

In November, each team will play four group games to see who will move on to the quarter-finals.

Then, in December, the semi-finals and final will be played at the same place, just like the NCAA’s highly popular Final Four.

Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, said, “What a great chance for a global league like the NBA.”

“This tournament is a great fit for our game.”

Silver said that the new event was based on cup competitions between European football clubs, like the Champions League.

He revealed the tournament’s details on Saturday in Las Vegas, where the Summer League began on Friday.

But the NBA commissioner said, “It takes a while to start a new tradition.” We’re seeing new things in sports all the time, and now is the time for this in-season event. So, let’s start.”

The new event is part of the new deal between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, which went into effect on July 1 and lasts until the end of the 2029-30 season.

How will the in-season tournament work?

Based on how each team did last season, the teams were put into six groups of five. Each group was split between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

Each team in the group will play two games at home and two games on the road. They will play each other once.

The group winners and the next-best team overall from each league will get wild cards and move on to the quarterfinals, which will be played on December 4 and 5.

The event will then move to Las Vegas, which held its first NCAA knockout games in March. The semi-finals will be played there on December 7, and the championship game will be played two nights later.

Except for the final, all of the tournament’s games will count toward the points for the regular season.

Since 2004, Vegas has held a Summer League game every year. Since 2018, all 30 teams have taken part.

This year, the start of the off-season tourney was timed with the first NBA Con, a three-day fan event. The goal was to get more people interested in basketball in “Sin City.”

Which teams will be competing?

Group A will be made up of the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers from the Western Conference.

The Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets, who are the current NBA winners, will be in Group B. The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Sacramento Kings will be in Group C.

In the Eastern Conference, Group A has the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons. Group B has the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets.

The Orlando Magic, the Chicago Bulls, the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Toronto Raptors will all be in Group C.