The NBA never seems to want to stop reinventing itself. For years, there’s been talk of adding a new competition to the league, primarily aimed at making November and December games more exciting – a period when the initial thrill of the season has faded and the playoffs and trade deadline still feel far off.

Introduced in 2023, the NBA In-Season Tournament—now known as the Emirates NBA Cup—is a single-elimination tournament with a group stage that takes place during November and December. Designed as a way to heighten the excitement and the stakes of the early portion of the NBA season,

The Los Angeles Lakers took home the inaugural in-season tournament title in Las Vegas last year, beating the Indiana Pacers in the final. The New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks also earned a trip to Vegas for the semifinals.