Key Highlights
- The Emirates NBA Cup group stage tips off Friday, October 30 on Prime Video with a marquee doubleheader featuring the New York Knicks at the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Golden State Warriors.
- All tournament games will feature custom, fully painted home courts inspired by Nike Basketball’s “End of Ordinary” concept, highlighted by the official tagline: “30 teams. 8 advance. 1 champion.”
- Following the group stage running through November 27, eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds, culminating in the championship final on Friday, December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Emirates NBA Cup Tips Off With Prime Video Doubleheader
The race for the Emirates NBA Cup officially commences on Friday, October 30, launching the group stage across local NBA markets. The tournament schedule begins with high-profile conference showdowns available exclusively on Prime Video. Action gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET as the New York Knicks visit the Philadelphia 76ers, followed immediately at 10:00 p.m. ET by a Western Conference clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors.
To determine the group-stage matchups, all 30 NBA franchises were drawn into groups of five within their respective conferences, seeded according to their win-loss records from the 2025-26 regular season. The opening phase extends from Friday, October 30 through Friday, November 27. Across these dedicated “Cup Nights,” each franchise will compete in four designated group-stage fixtures seeking qualification into the single-elimination phase.
Custom Court Visuals and Nike Design Collaboration
Continuing the tournament’s bold aesthetic presentation, all Emirates NBA Cup games will take place on specialized, fully painted hardwood surfaces. Designed to deliver strong visual distinction during group-stage play, the quarterfinals, and the semifinals, the installations offer a unified brand identity across all member arenas.
The visual framework draws direct inspiration from Nike Basketball’s Standard Issue 2026 collection and its “End of Ordinary” design philosophy. Key design elements integrated into the 2026 playing surfaces include:
- Large-scale team typography: Inspired by the signature game jackets in the Nike collection, team names run boldly along both sidelines of every floor.
- Center-court identity: Each franchise’s primary logo remains anchored inside the center jump circle.
- Contrasting color palettes: The painted court surfaces use deliberate contrasting color schemes engineered to highlight the home teams’ Statement Edition uniforms, which will be worn for every tournament matchup.
- Tournament iconography: Visual representations of the Emirates NBA Cup trophy are placed at center court as well as embedded directly within the painted key areas.
- Championship slogan: Displayed near the three-point lines in the floor corners, the hardwood prominently features the tournament’s 2026 tagline: “30 teams. 8 advance. 1 champion.”
Road to the Championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse
Following the conclusion of the preliminary round on November 27, exactly eight teams will earn berths into the single-elimination knockout stage. The quarterfinal and semifinal contests will remain hosted on-campus in the home arenas of the competing NBA teams, maintaining local market engagement and home-court environments.
The tournament will culminate in the Emirates NBA Cup final on Friday, December 11, staged at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Every matchup throughout the knockout rounds, leading up to the crowning of the sole champion, will be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video.
Why This Matters
The Emirates NBA Cup represents the league’s ongoing effort to amplify early-season regular-season competitiveness and capture wider streaming audiences through its partnership with Prime Video. By integrating custom court designs, coordinated Statement Edition uniforms, and high-stakes knockout basketball culminating at a venue like Indianapolis’ Hinkle Fieldhouse, the NBA continues to position its in-season tournament as a distinct, premium asset on the annual sports calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Emirates NBA Cup start and how can fans watch?
The group stage begins on Friday, October 30, with an opening doubleheader featuring the New York Knicks against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Golden State Warriors at 10:00 p.m. ET. Both games, along with the entirety of the knockout rounds, will air on Prime Video.
How does the tournament format work?
All 30 teams are divided into groups of five within their conferences based on their 2025-26 regular-season records. Each team plays four group games on scheduled “Cup Nights” between October 30 and November 27. Eight teams advance to the knockout rounds, with quarterfinals and semifinals hosted in team markets.
Where and when will the championship game be played?
The Emirates NBA Cup championship game will be played on Friday, December 11, at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, airing exclusively on Prime Video.
