NBA to bring in-season tournament back to Las Vegas
The finale of the NBA’s in-season tournament is returning to Las Vegas.
The semifinals and championship game of the NBA Cup will be played Dec. 13 and 16, the NBA announced Wednesday. All three games will be played at T-Mobile Arena.
“It says something when the NBA continues to choose Las Vegas,” said Steve Hill, president and chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “It helps round out that time of year from a sports standpoint.”
The NBA did not commit to returning to Las Vegas for a third time after last year’s championship game, when the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81. Commissioner Adam Silver said there was interest to play the final three games in home team markets.
Last year’s semifinals and championship game saw a combined announced attendance of 53,569.
In 2023, the NBA Cup was estimated to have generated $53.1 million in economic impact, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said. The LVCVA sponsored the event for the first two years, with $2.25 million in 2023 and $1.6 million in 2024.
The LVCVA estimated that 26,000 fans came from out of state for the 2023 NBA Cup and 17,000 in 2024.
“We talk a lot about how Las Vegas helps elevate events and in turn those events help elevate Las Vegas,” Hill said. “The NBA has done a great job of turning the NBA Cup into an exciting competition, and having it culminate here helps it be a real draw.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
