If you've turned on an NBA game and noticed a different court design, extra hype on social media, or a trophy you don't recognize, you've probably stumbled onto the Emirates NBA Cup. A lot of newer fans run into the same problem: they don't know what this tournament actually is, whether the games count for anything real, when their favorite team plays, or how to actually watch it live. Here's what it is, when your team plays, and how to watch every game live.
What Is the Emirates NBA Cup?
The Emirates NBA Cup is the league's in-season tournament — a knockout competition played inside the normal NBA season, in late October through mid-December, with its own trophy and prize pool. See the Emirates NBA Cup FAQ for the full naming story and why the NBA created it.
Cup success has a real track record in the postseason — the 2025 final between the Knicks and Spurs turned out to be a preview of that year's NBA Finals matchup. The full year-by-year history is on the Emirates NBA Cup history page.
How the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Works
The format can feel confusing the first time you hear about it, so here's the simplest way to understand it: think of it as two mini-stages stacked inside the regular season.
Stage 1: Group Play
All 30 teams are split into six groups of five, three per conference. Each team plays four Group Play games — two at home, two on the road — against the other teams in its group, and every game counts fully toward the regular-season record. Groups are seeded by a tiered pot system, so no group is stacked with only strong or only weak teams. See the 2026 groups breakdown and the full pot system explained.
Stage 2: Knockout Rounds
Eight teams move on to a single-elimination bracket: the winner of each of the six groups, plus one wild card per conference — the best second-place team in Group Play. Every round is a single game, not a series, all the way to the Championship. Track who's in the race on the live standings page.
Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Key Dates
| Stage | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| Group Play begins | Friday, October 30 |
| Quarterfinals | December 4–5 |
| Semifinals | December 8 and/or 9 |
| Championship | Friday, December 11 |
For every Cup Night, tip-off time and TV channel, see the full Group Play schedule.
How to Watch the Emirates NBA Cup Live
Group Play games are split across Prime, ESPN, NBC/Peacock and League Pass depending on the night; the Knockout Rounds move exclusively to Prime. See the full streaming guide for which platform carries which games, and the ticket guide for the Championship, since it's played at a neutral site.
Where Is the 2026 Championship Being Played?
Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — a much smaller, more historic venue than a typical NBA arena. See the Hinkle Fieldhouse guide for why the NBA picked it.
What Do Teams and Players Actually Win?
Beyond the trophy, players on teams that reach the Knockout Rounds split a real prize pool that grows the further a team advances — see the prize money breakdown. The tournament also crowns an MVP and an All-Tournament Team, covered on the history page.
Emirates NBA Cup Champions: A Quick History
| Season | Champion | MVP | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Los Angeles Lakers | LeBron James | Las Vegas |
| 2024-25 | Milwaukee Bucks | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Las Vegas |
| 2025-26 | New York Knicks | Jalen Brunson | Las Vegas |
For every champion, MVP and All-Tournament pick in full, see the Emirates NBA Cup history page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It's an official NBA competition with its own trophy, a real player prize pool, and Group Play/Knockout Round games that count in the regular-season standings.
All Knockout Round games — Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Championship — stream live on Prime. Live scores for every Cup Night are tracked right here on this homepage.