As LeBron James’s career comes to its inevitable end, discussions about his greatness and all-time ranking are heating up, yet again. Amidst all the discussion about the Kings’ greatness, his NBA Cup and NBA Cup MVP have made no appearance in discussions.
The NBA has a ridiculous amount of awards, with some more respected than others, yet the NBA Cup and its MVP seem the most forgotten about. Sixth Man of the Year currently carries more gravitas than the Cup.
Granted, the Cup is only three years old, but does anyone really care about it yet?
According to the NBA, viewership for Cup games has risen by 90% this season since making the switch to Amazon Prime. Every year since the Cup’s introduction has seen viewership increase in the same time period prior to the cup, suggesting the model is working.
Having Amazon Prime come into the fold has increased the marketing of the product. Originally, Adam Silver’s pledge of $500,000 (£372,500) to each player was the focus of the marketing plan. Incentivise the players to play hard through their paycheque.
In its first year, the strategy worked well. LeBron James won the NBA Cup and claimed the salary bonus was a motivating factor for him. In reality, I reckon it was a mixture of realising another accomplishment, no matter the size, would help his GOAT argument and Adam Silver having a word in his ear.
Now, Amazon Prime pushes the product onto its subscribers and uses it in its own marketing to encourage people to subscribe to the service. Moving coverage from League Pass to a mainstream broadcaster is sure to have its benefits, as games can now reach a wider audience than just basketball fans.
This years NBA Cup may be the most hard fought campaign so far, with multiple genuine championship contenders all vying to win. Ultimately, the success of the Cup would live and die by how good the games were, and the games have been great.
The Cup has done exactly what it was designed to do, drive up viewership. Silva recognised the magic of competitions like the FA Cup and how they can drive TV audiences due to the one-game nature of them. He’s implemented the idea, and it’s worked.
Barbershops and ESPN may be yet to include NBA Cup success in their legacy discussions as it’s currently unfair. Jordan, Kareem, Magic, Bird, and anyone who retired before 2023 did not get the chance to play in the Cup. In 30 years’ time, this could be different.
It’ll also depend on how Adam Silva decides to broadcast going forward. The FA Cup and its mass appeal come from its free-to-air television nature. Many professional footballers dreamed of winning the FA Cup as children, as it may have been the only football they could watch. If Silva makes the NBA Cup Final widely accessible, we may have a generation of hoopers who care deeply for the Cup.
The NBA Cup may not currently be where the legends of the game are debated and decided, but it may definitely create the stepping stone for players to reach those heights and highlight to fans who are the teams who will be competing later in the year.
2025 NBA Cup Final
Both winners so far have been recent champions, with the Lakers winning it in 2023, having won the NBA championship in 2020, and the Bucks winning in 2024, having won the NBA championship in 2021.
This will be the first year since its inception a recent champion will not win the NBA Cup. However, the competition pool is still tight. Second seed Knicks take on the fourth seed Spurs in an interesting matchup for more than just two good teams competing.
Victor Wembenyama will have his first opportunity to cement himself as the future. This is the first season the Spurs have been good enough to compete since Wembenyama has joined, and now find themselves in a final.
ESPN have made predictions that the Thunder are on the verge of a dynasty, due to their young roster with many years left under contract and impressive draft pick selection. However, their defeat to San Antonio in the semi-finals suggests that dynasty may not be as much of a shore thing as first believed.
Could Wembenyama’s NBA Cup performance give a glimpse of the future? A battle between Wembenyama and OKC for supremacy over the League? The NBA Cup might not be being won this year by a recent champion, but it may be being won by a future one.
Added to this, the Knicks are bursting to win. The Villanova reunion has been a success, and Mike Brown is poised to take the team to new heights. There is currently a power vacuum in the East; could the Knicks, who also have a relatively young roster, stamp their authority with a Cup win?
Jake Holmes (editor)
Jake grew up in London as an avid football and basketball fanatic. He has written on the Premier League, La Liga, and several of other leagues across Europe. Along with his writing, he has hosted podcasts on the NBA and works London City Lionesses. Jake focuses on tactical analysis along with wider socio-political issues affecting sport at all levels. [email protected]
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