The NBA Finals for the current season will take place in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, with rewards of $500,000 for winning coaches and players in the new competition aimed at attracting more viewers and interest in the early stages of the league’s regular season, months before the playoff anticipation begins.
Key Facts
The game between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers will kick off at 8:30 PM Eastern Time, with the Los Angeles Lakers expected to be the favorites to win the match.
All 30 teams in the NBA participated in the tournament that lasted for the past few weeks: each team played four matches in the group stage, and the top eight advanced to the knockout round, leading to the semifinals and finals in Las Vegas. The winning team of the tournament will be awarded the new “NBA Cup”.
The tournament was held concurrently with the regular NBA season: all tournament matches were counted as regular season games except for the final match, and they affect the standings used to determine the teams participating in the NBA playoffs in the spring.
The players and coaches of the team winning the NBA Cup will receive $500,000, while the runner-up will receive $200,000, and the semifinal teams will receive $100,000, along with quarterfinal teams receiving $50,000, according to an ESPN report.
Coaches from the teams will participate in a separate incentive program reaching up to 75% of the total payout for the winning coach, according to an ESPN report.
Colorful courts and new uniforms were used in the tournament, featuring alternate designs and unique lines not seen in previous seasons.
Surprising Fact
The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets were the early favorites to win the tournament that lasted over a month, according to DraftKings. The three teams are also considered contenders to reach the NBA Finals.
The Big Number
5.5 million. This is the average number of viewers for the NBA tournament last year across ESPN, ABC, and TNT – the highest level in five years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Main Background
The incentive for the tournament for players was negotiated with the National Basketball Players Association, according to an ESPN report, which stated that the league seeks to attract viewers and generate revenue for the league in the upcoming broadcast rights agreement. The last NBA broadcast deal was announced in 2014, when the league secured a nine-year, $24 billion TV agreement with ESPN and Turner Sports – now part of Warner Bros. Discovery. The NBA season for 2024-2025 will see the end of this agreement, setting the stage for a potential new deal that could include bidders such as NBCUniversal, YouTube TV, Amazon, and Apple, according to CNBC. Currently, NBA games span platforms like Disney’s ESPN and ABC, Warner’s TNT network, as well as NBA TV and NBA League Pass, in addition to several regional networks. The league receives $2.6 billion annually from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery under the current agreement, an amount they hope to double, according to Bloomberg.
Sidebar Note
The current NBA tournament resembles competitions played by the top football teams in Europe, where teams can qualify to play in multiple tournaments throughout their seasons. For example, the UEFA Champions League takes the best teams from leagues in countries like England, France, and Spain and has them compete to determine the best team in Europe.
Reading
Additional
NBA Valuations for 2023 (Forbes)
NBA Reveals Nike City Edition Uniforms for Current Season Tournament (Forbes)
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Antonio Pequeno IV
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