In the weeks ahead, NBA fans will start to notice something. On certain nights, the courts look different.
That starts for this season on Friday night, and the national Amazon Prime Video broadcast between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics will give viewers an early look at this.
The 76ers are at home Friday, and they'll be playing on a blue court.
It's hard to miss, and it can be a bit hard to watch the game on just given how different it is from usual appearances.
There's a reason for all this, of course, whether you like it or not.
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Why is the 76ers' court blue?
The Philadelphia 76ers are playing on a blue court because it's an NBA Cup game.
The NBA Cup, previously known as the in-season tournament, is a special competition now in its third year. It takes place as part of normal regular season games, but they're designated as cup games to create a secondary competition during the course of the season.
The league chose to put together different courts for NBA Cup games, which allow fans to recognize immediately that this isn't just a regular season clash but rather a game as part of the ongoing in-season tourney.
Most teams use one of their main colors as the base color for the floor, creating a lot of bolder looks than a standard hardwood floor coloring.
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The teams also have the big NBA Cup emblazoned on the court, too.
Philly's court also has a cool red outline:
our @NBA Cup court. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oETe2g10cK
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 24, 2025
It certainly takes some getting used to, but you'll certainly know each and every time an NBA Cup game is going on.
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