Last updated: 10 October 2026 · groups, dates and broadcast details per NBA.com’s official Emirates NBA Cup release.
The Emirates NBA Cup starts on Friday, 30 October and finishes on Friday, 11 December at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It is the fourth running of the league's in-season tournament, and for jersey buyers it has one property no other competition on the calendar has: it is over almost as soon as it starts.
What the NBA Cup actually is
The competition is a tournament bolted onto the regular season rather than a separate event. Three things define it:
- Four group games per team. All 30 teams are drawn into six groups of five, three groups per conference, one game against each group opponent — two at home, two away.
- Cup Nights. Group play is played on designated nights rather than spread across the season: every Friday from 30 October to 27 November, plus two extra nights on 24 and 25 November.
- It counts. Every Cup game except the Championship counts toward the regular-season standings. You are not watching a friendly; you are watching games that decide the table.
The knockout stage takes the six group winners plus one wildcard per conference — the best second-placed team — for an eight-team bracket. The Quarterfinals and Semifinals are hosted by the higher seed in NBA team markets; the Championship is a neutral-site final.
The dates that matter
| Stage | Dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Group Play | 30 Oct · 6, 13, 20, 24, 25, 27 Nov | Team markets |
| Quarterfinals | 4–5 Dec | Higher seed hosts |
| Semifinals | 8–9 Dec | Higher seed hosts |
| Championship | 11 Dec | Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis |
Worth noting for the first time in the tournament's history: the final is not in Las Vegas. The 2026 Championship is at Hinkle Fieldhouse — the gym made famous by the 1954 Milan state championship, and a venue small enough that the “neutral site” label finally means something. The dates are published on NBA.com's Cup schedule page.
The six groups
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| West A | Nuggets · Rockets · Suns · Mavericks · Jazz |
| West B | Thunder · Timberwolves · Clippers · Pelicans · Grizzlies |
| West C | Spurs · Lakers · Trail Blazers · Warriors · Kings |
| East A | Pistons · Raptors · Magic · Bucks · Nets |
| East B | Knicks · Cavaliers · 76ers · Heat · Pacers |
| East C | Celtics · Hawks · Hornets · Bulls · Wizards |
East Group B is the one to circle — it holds the reigning Cup and NBA champion, the team LeBron James joined, and three other rosters with genuine claims. Opening night on 30 October pairs Knicks at 76ers and Lakers at Warriors as the two national windows.
Why the Cup is the shortest jersey commitment in the calendar
This is the part that matters if you are deciding whether to buy.
The NBA season is 82 games. A deep playoff run is up to 28 more. A Cup run, by contrast, is four group games — and seven if you go all the way to Indianapolis. That is the shortest competitive window the league offers.
Which reframes the tier decision completely:
- A printed replica is the correct buy for a Cup run. Around $40, and it is going to be worn for a tournament measured in weeks, not years. Nothing about a four-game window justifies paying for stitched tackle-twill lettering.
- A Cup is not a reason to buy your team's expensive tier. If you want the stitched build, buy it because you want the sweater — not because of a tournament that ends before the decorations come down.
- But it is the best excuse to buy a jersey for a team you do not follow. The group draw forces matchups you would otherwise never watch — Spurs against the Kings, Magic against the Raptors — and a Cup Night is exactly when a neutral finds themselves suddenly invested in a team they have no history with.
What history says about the Cup
Three years of the tournament have produced one genuinely notable pattern: Cup success has preceded Finals success.
| Season | Champion | Result | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Lakers | def. Pacers 123–109 | LeBron James |
| 2024 | Bucks | def. Thunder 97–81 | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| 2025 | Knicks | def. Spurs 124–113 | Jalen Brunson |
Look at what happened to the teams that did not win it. The Pacers reached the Cup final in 2023 and went to the NBA Finals the following season — their deepest run in 25 years. The Thunder lost the 2024 Cup final and won the championship that same season. And in 2025, the Knicks became the first team to win the Cup and the NBA title in the same season, beating the Spurs in both the Cup final and the Finals.
Whether that is a real signal or a statistical accident is arguable. But it does mean a Cup run is a reasonable moment to commit to a team — they are frequently about to be good.
Three jerseys for a Cup run
If you are dressing for Cup Nights, these are three we would start with — the team that lost the 2024 final and won the title that same season, the roster LeBron James joined, and the 2023 Cup champion:
Every Cup team has its own shelf in the NBA hub, though stock varies by roster and design. If you want the construction difference behind Fast Break, Swingman and Hardwood Classics, the NBA jersey tiers guide breaks it down; sizing is covered in the six-league sizing guide.
Ordering before 30 October
Cup Nights start on 30 October, and the first one is the one people dress for. Working backwards from that date:
- In-stock jerseys dispatch in 1–3 days; delivery then runs 7–15 days standard or 5–7 days express.
- For 30 October, standard shipping still works if you order in the first half of October. After that, express is the safer route.
- Custom printing adds 3–7 workshop days before dispatch — free on every style, so a blank plus your own name costs the same as a stocked shirt.
- The knockout rounds are much further out (4–11 December), so there is no deadline pressure if you are waiting to see who qualifies.
The full routine for keeping a jersey alive through a season is in our jersey care guide, and the 2026 price guide covers the cost side across every tier.
Frequently asked
Bottom line
The NBA Cup runs 30 October to 11 December, with four group games per team and a neutral-site final at Hinkle Fieldhouse. For jersey buyers the takeaway is straightforward: a Cup run is the shortest commitment on the calendar, so buy the printed replica at around $40 rather than the stitched build — you are dressing for four games, not four seasons. If you want the stitched tier, buy it because you want the sweater, not because of the tournament. And if you are a neutral, the group draw is the best excuse you will get all year to buy a team you have no history with.
When does the NBA Cup 2026 start and finish?
Group Play begins on Friday, 30 October 2026 and runs on Cup Nights through 27 November — every Friday plus extra nights on 24 and 25 November. The Quarterfinals are 4–5 December, the Semifinals 8–9 December, and the Championship is on Friday, 11 December at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How does the NBA Cup format work?
All 30 teams are drawn into six groups of five, three groups per conference, based on the previous season's records. Each team plays four group games — one against each group opponent, two at home and two away. The six group winners plus one wildcard per conference (the best second-placed team) reach an eight-team single-elimination knockout. Every Cup game except the Championship counts toward the regular-season standings.
Who won the NBA Cup in 2025?
The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124–113, with Jalen Brunson named MVP. It made the Knicks the first team to win the Emirates NBA Cup and the NBA Championship in the same season. The previous winners were the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024 (over the Thunder, MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo) and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023 (over the Pacers, MVP LeBron James).
Which NBA Cup jersey should I buy?
If you are buying specifically for the tournament, buy a printed replica — around $40 — because a Cup run is only four group games, or seven if your team reaches the final. There is no case for paying for stitched lettering on a competition that ends in six weeks. If you want the stitched tier, buy it as a season-long sweater rather than a Cup purchase.
Where is the NBA Cup final played in 2026?
The Championship is at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday, 11 December 2026. It is the first time the final has not been held in Las Vegas — the previous three editions were played there. The Quarterfinals and Semifinals are hosted by the higher-seeded team in NBA markets.
