The NBA on Saturday announced details of the event, which will take place next season. The league’s hope is that it takes off in interest and popularity like soccer’s FA Cup in England and Copa del Rey in Spain. The NBA's goals are to create “another competition to win, engage fans in a new way and drive additional interest in the early portion of the regular-season schedule."

The winner will take home the NBA Cup.

Getting buy-in from players, teams and fans is the first step.

"By creating that win-or-go-home energy, which we see in other sports driving significant levels of competition, we think there's an element there that’s beneficial,” NBA executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics Evan Wasch said, adding, “Ultimately, NBA players are among the most competitive people on the planet when you put them in these single-elimination situations, in these special environments with that look and feel, with this prize money, with these recognitions on the line, we think the rest will do itself.

It will take place in November and December with tournament games on Tuesday and Friday in November, beginning Friday, Nov. 3 (except Election Day on Nov. 7), continuing with the quarterfinals on Dec. 4-5 and ending with the semifinals and finals Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.

Each conference will be split into three five-team groups. The groups were determined by teams’ regular-season records in 2022-23 in a draw from these five pots:

Pot 1: The teams with the three best prior-season records in a conference.

Pot 2: The teams with the fourth-through-sixth-best prior-season records.

Pot 3: The teams with the seventh-through-ninth-best prior-season records.

Pot 4: The teams with the 10th-through-12th-best prior-season records.

Pot 5: The teams with the 13th-through-15th-best prior-season records.

Each team will play four games against the other teams in its group − two at home and two on the road.

The winner of each group plus a wild card from each conference (team with the best record that finished second in its group) advance to the quarterfinals.

All games except for the semifinals and final will be played in NBA markets.

What are the groups?
Eastern Conference

East Group A: Philadelphia 76ers; Cleveland Cavaliers; Atlanta Hawks; Indiana Pacers; Detroit Pistons

East Group B: Milwaukee Bucks; New York Knicks; Miami Heat; Washington Wizards; Charlotte Hornets

East Group C: Boston Celtics; Brooklyn Nets; Toronto Raptors; Chicago Bulls; Orlando Magic

Western Conference

West Group A: Memphis Grizzlies; Phoenix Suns; Los Angeles Lakers; Utah Jazz; Portland Trail Blazers

West Group B: Denver Nuggets; Los Angeles Clippers; New Orleans Pelicans; Dallas Mavericks; Houston Rockets

West Group C: Sacramento Kings; Golden State Warriors; Minnesota Timberwolves; Oklahoma City Thunder; San Antonio Spurs

What are the incentives?
Beyond winning the NBA Cup, players on teams that reach the quarterfinals and beyond will receive additional financial compensation − $500,000 for each player on the championship team; $200,000 for players on the runner-up team; $100,000 for players on the losing semifinals teams and $50,000 for each player on a team that loses in the quarterfinals.

A tournament MVP and all-tournament honors will also be awarded.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

Yes it is.

When this is all over, which is not going to be for a while, Trump will be re-elected President.

Terrible idea. No one is going to care.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Because you are stupid, maybe read some books educate yourself.

We walk, talk, and won't shit our pants

This works in sports such as soccer because there is some type of league pyramid, and teams start the competition at a certain round based on their league and last year's league finish. So I'm the UK's FA Cup, an EPL team may get added in round 4 and have to travel to a dinky stadium to face a 5th division team which got hot.

If everyone is in the same league, it doesn't mean shit. And if you are a guy on a max deal, what the hell is another $500k for a half dozen more games??

Just implement a 17 game season. Young people aren't watching 82 games anymore.

If he really wants to save the NBA, he needs to implement limits on foreign born players minutes.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.