All basketball fans will have their eyes trained on Las Vegas. On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, at 2:30 a.m. in France (6:30 p.m. local time), Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs face the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup final. A first for both franchises and a first trophy at stake this season. Presentation !
Why was this new competition launched?
Audiences at half-mast, a growing and worrying disinterest of the public in the matches… To revive the attraction of supporters – and players – for the numerous matches of the regular season in the heart of winter, the leaders of the powerful NBA have decided to create, in 2023, a new competition: the NBA Cup.
An event which followed the principle of certain leagues in Europe. In France in particular, the Basketball League (LNB) offers the Leader’s Cup (formerly the Week of Aces) every February. The eight best teams from the first phase meet over a weekend and at the same venue to try to win the first trophy of the season.
What is the format?
After a first phase contested from October 31 to November 28, where each team faces (on a floor specially created for the occasion) in a dry match four other teams from its conference, the first six in the group and the best second qualify for the quarter-finals.
The four winners of these decisive matches earn their ticket to the final four. This final four made in USA is held in a single location (in Las Vegas for the first three editions) and over a period of just a few days so as not to impact the season. If the group matches, quarters and halfs count for the regular season, the final is an additional match on the calendar.
The format of the competition, with decisive matches, also serves as preparation for the end-of-season playoffs for the players.
Are the players playing the game?
Although it obviously does not have the value or prestige of the Larry O’Brien trophy, which rewards the NBA champion, the NBA Cup is not without interest for players. You only need to look at the tournament results to realize this. In 2023, the Lakers celebrated their victory by flooding the locker rooms with champagne. If he won everything during his long career, LeBron James, crowned MVP of the final, did not hide his pleasure. “Records will be broken but being the first to win a title is unrivaled,” said the four-time NBA champion. Last year it was the Bucks of Giannis Antetokounmpo (elected MVP of the final) who put their name on the list.
Asked at a press conference, Victor Wembanyama, who will aim for his first title with Spurs and the first at club since the title of French champion with Asvel in 2022, sees this final as “an important step”. And the Frenchie from San Antonio continued: “As competitors, we want to win every match. And this one brings something new, so we’re not going to take it lightly. »
However, Wemby does not plan to “pop the champagne” like the Lakers in 2023 in the event of a victory. “I would rather choose the Bucks celebration,” he specifies. We’re only halfway through the season. It doesn’t mean anything, but it’s not that significant to win this tournament. We must remain humble, while knowing that, as we are not celebrating a victory in the playoff series, we are not going to pop the champagne tomorrow night (Wednesday). »
After having defied the predictions by eliminating the Lakers in the quarters and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma in the half, the Spurs will this time face the Knicks, candidates for the champion title at the end of the season. Wembanyama could start the match on the bench…
A trophy that can pay off big
It’s a bit of an early Christmas bonus. Paid several tens of millions of dollars per season, the highest salaries in the NBA will not really see their lifestyle change with the checks offered during this competition, but for the others, for the second knives and the staff, the gain is not negligible.
If the quarter- and semi-finalists leave respectively with a bonus of around 45,000 euros and 91,000 euros per head, the sums increase substantially for the last two teams in the running. Unhappy finalists will console themselves with a nest egg of around 182,000 euros per player. The winners leave Vegas with a line on their prize list and a jackpot of 456,000 euros. Assistant coaches are not forgotten and receive 75% of the sums.
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