What Is The NBA Cup? Details About In-Season Tournament Trophies, Medals

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers will take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers this evening in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Finals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which tip off at 8:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN2.

The winning team will not only capture a $500,000 bonus for each player, but they’ll also become the first franchise to raise a unique trophy designed specifically for the tournament, which we’ve detailed below:

Unveiled in July, the NBA Cup is 23 inches tall as a reference to the inaugural year of the tournament. It was designed by Tiffany & Co. and features a hall ball/cup at the top, with eight prongs to represent the teams that made it to the knockout rounds flowing to the base.

The base, which is a blend of the Eastern and Western Conference championship trophies, includes net detailing with 30 openings for the number of teams in the league. The base and the ball are black ceramic, while the rest of the trophy is sterling silver coated in 24-karat gold.

Further inspiration for the NBA Cup, which features the tournament logo on the bottom, include a three-tier base for the three games the champion must win in the knockout rounds and its weight (35 pounds), which represents the three groups of five teams in each conference for group play.

The MVP Trophy shares some details with the NBA Cup, including the black base with two prongs flowing into a stylized basketball at the top. The two prongs represent the teams competing in the In-Season Tournament Finals, while the 15-inch height denotes the number of teams in each conference.

Each player on the winning team will receive a medal, which is customary in basketball tournaments across the world, including the Olympics and FIBA World Cup. The medal depicts a basketball, has four extruding balls to note the teams that reached the semifinals and has the NBA Cup etched into the back.

Lastly, five players will be selected to the In-Season Tournament All-Tournament team. They will receive a basketball-shaped trophy, which is composed of black crystal with gold accents and features a bracket-like design, which can be seen on the Finals court, etched into one of the panels.