LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural Emirates NBA Cup last season.
This year's crown is up for grabs and it all starts on Tuesday night.
Kelly Flatow, the NBA's Executive Vice President of Global Events, told me year one was a success for both players and fans.
"The players really responded to it and they gave us a lot of input on what to do for year two. Even if you might have forgotten that it was a cup night, the players were telling us that the moment they ran out of the tunnel, they couldn't forget it because these incredible courts signaled that something was different," Flatow said. "Our fans responded to it and it got everyone's competitive juices going."
Flatow said the unique court designs will be returning this season.
"That was something that we wanted to bring back this year and we took some of their feedback on what was good and there there was room for improvement on the courts," Flatow explained. "This year, we patterned with Victor Solomon and he developed incredible designs that really feature the unique characteristics of each team. There will be 30 unique courts. You will see the first two of them tonight and over the next few weeks, see the rest of them."
The Semifinals and Finals will once again be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Dec. 14 and Tuesday, Dec. 17.
There will be activities and activations on Toshiba Plaza, including live pregame shows and photo opportunities. NBA Experiences packages are back with chances for fans to have dinner on the court and meet and greets with NBA legends.
New this year, the NBA is launching the Tees & Threes Golf Tournament at the Wynn Golf Course on Monday, Dec. 16.
"Fans will have an opportunity to be able to get on the course and either watch or play with NBA icons, both legends of the game as well as celebrities and pro golfers," Flatow said. "We'll also have some new programming that we're not ready to announce yet today but we'll be back in the marketplace with NBA experiences."
The NBA will also be partnering with nonprofit organizations across the valley that week.
"It's really important to us that we are engaging youth and being able to bring our Junior NBA programming year-round to the Las Vegas community. When we are in town, specifically for Summer League and the NBA Cup, we will have our Junior NBA and Junior WNBA programming that will be out in the community getting more kids to bounce balls," Flatow told me. "We are also so grateful that we have the Las Vegas Aces as a permanent fixture in the marketplace, getting kids out to play the game of basketball. That's part of our DNA."
When I spoke to NBA officials last December, they described Las Vegas as their "R&D hub" and today, Flatow added that it has a special place in the league's heart.
"Being able to come back in December with almost a week of programming is really fun for us," Flatow said. "Las Vegas is an incredible event town, always has been, and certainly has become a major destination for sports. We're really looking forward to seeing as many of our fans as possible, both from the Las Vegas community as well as from around the world."
In-season tournament games will be played on every Tuesday and Friday night between Tuesday and Dec. 3.
Tickets for the Semifinals and Finals, on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17, are on sale now.
For a limited time, you can also pick up tickets for 10% off as part of a partnership with UNLV, which hosts the NBA Summer League. That offer is valid through Friday, Nov. 15 at 10 p.m. You can learn more here.
