Why this NBA season is different: There's an in-season tournament and it starts very soon

The eight-month marathon to determine the 2023-24 NBA champion begins tonight, but in just a few days, the NBA will start its first five-week sprint to determine another champion.

A new in-season tournament begins Nov. 3 – just 10 days into the season – with a few weeks of pool play. That leads to an eight-team single elimination playoff where the last team standing wins the NBA Cup and a pile of cash.

"Whether it’s international basketball, international soccer, individual sports here in the U.S., golf, tennis, fighting, racing – the idea of being able to win multiple things each year is a well-accepted practice. And, in fact, (it) creates very exciting competition throughout the calendar,” NBA executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics Evan Wasch said.

With football filling sports viewing time in the fall, Christmas Day has been called the unofficial start of the NBA season for the casual fan. But this year the NBA can't even avoid NFL on that day, either. Perhaps these new tournament games – scheduled on the NFL's off days – will usher in an earlier unofficial start for the league.

NBA vs. NFL on Christmas Day in 2023

How the NBA in-season tournament works

Each team plays the other four teams in their group (three groups of five teams in each conference) on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. The teams with the best records in their group plus a wildcard from each conference move to a one-week knockout round in December. The semifinals and final are Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

"We think we can create another peak in the NBA calendar in December, another thing to celebrate, another thing for players, teams, fans to rally around," Wasch said.

Results from the in-season tournament games will count toward teams' regular-season records. Those teams that don't make the knockout round will play on the evenings following the quarterfinal and semifinal games. That ensures all teams play at least the usual 82 regular-season games, although some teams will have an extra home or away game.

NBA in-season tournament prize

Players on all eight teams who make it to the knockout round are guaranteed at least $50,000 each. They can earn 10 times that if they bring home the NBA Cup. A tournament MVP and all-tournament honors will also be awarded.

How the in-season teams were placed in their groups

The teams were placed in their groups somewhat randomly with a couple of key qualifiers in the selection process:

• The teams remained in their 15-team Eastern and Western conferences.
• Teams were distributed in their conferences in sets of three based on their 2022-23 records. For example, the top three teams in the East (Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers) are in different groups just as the teams with the worst records have been dispersed (Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons).

Which teams are in each in-season tournament group

NBA in-season tournament schedule

The tournament does not add games to the 82-game schedule, but it adds extra incentive for players to compete in these early-season games. And maybe it will draw a few more viewers, too. Here's an overview of the five weeks: