The NBA Cup, which launched in 2023, is already making waves in the basketball world. While the new competition has raised several questions among fans, the league remains optimistic and confident in the process, with plans to continue expanding the tournament’s scope. One key area of focus is the inclusion of international teams, aiming to capture a larger global audience and elevate the league's global presence.
NBA Cup Performance and Fan Engagement
NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Strategy, Evan Wasch, recently spoke with international media about the Cup’s growing success. He highlighted a positive trend in fan interest during group play, signaling the tournament's potential to attract a global fanbase.
“For the group play this year, the seven group play nights of those 14 games were 7% higher on average than non-group play games in the window. So, it’s showing that there’s some sort of elevated interest in the Cup games,” Wasch said. Despite a slight dip from last year, which Wasch attributed to injuries, player absences, and some unbalanced matchups, the Cup games are still performing strongly, especially when compared to other non-Cup games this season," he said.
Future Growth and International Expansion
In the meeting, another important topic discussed was the possibility of further internationalization of the NBA Cup. Wasch emphasized the league’s ongoing efforts to engage with FIBA and stakeholders in Europe about the potential for high-level international competitions. The NBA sees a great opportunity to build basketball’s global reach, particularly in Europe, and is looking at ways to integrate more international teams into future Cup editions.
“On the international piece, yes, we’ve been actively engaged with FIBA and other stakeholders in Europe about potential opportunities to grow basketball further with high-level competition in Europe, and we think there’s a tremendous opportunity there,” Wasch said. This potential expansion could pave the way for exciting future matchups, including competitions between NBA teams and top international teams.
“If we were to do that, you could also envision down-the-line competitions between NBA teams and teams around the world,” Wasch added, signaling a long-term vision for more globally inclusive events," he added
With the NBA Cup still in its early years, the league is looking ahead to a future where it can unite the best basketball talent from around the globe, creating more dynamic and diverse competition for fans worldwide.
NBA Cup teams 2024 - 30
East A: New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
East B: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
East C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards
West A: Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
West B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
West C: Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies
