As the NBA regular season 2023-24 is about to begin, fans are eagerly waiting to see their favorite teams and players in action. The NBA has released the full schedule for the 2023-24 season, which will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 24 with a doubleheader on TNT featuring Nuggets vs. Lakers and Suns vs. Warriors. The regular season will end on Sunday, April 14, 2024, followed by the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel on Saturday, April 20.
The regular season 2023-24 schedule includes defined dates and opponents for 80 of each team’s 82 games, along with two games designated as TBD dates and opponents. Those two games for each team, to be played the week of Dec. 4, will be determined based on the results of Group Play games in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. The Group Play game schedule (Nov. 3-28) was announced on Aug. 15.
The first five days of the regular season will feature 10 national television games, with two doubleheaders each on TNT and ESPN and one on NBA TV. Those games will showcase 14 teams and three rematches from the 2023 Playoffs (DEN-LAL, MIA-BOS and GSW-SAC).
The NBA has also announced that it will hold an in-season tournament for the first time between November 3 and December 9, with all games except the final counting toward the regular season standings. The tournament will feature all 30 teams divided into six groups of five teams each. The top eight teams from each group will advance to a single-elimination knockout stage that will culminate in a championship game on December 9.
What is NBA In-Season Tournament
The NBA In-Season Tournament is a new annual competition for all 30 teams that will debut in the 2023-24 season. The tournament will feature all 30 teams divided into six groups of five teams each. The top eight teams from each group will advance to a single-elimination knockout stage that will culminate in a championship game on December 9, 2023.
The tournament will consist of two stages: Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. All 30 teams have been randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on won-loss records from the 2022-23 regular season. Beginning Nov. 3 and continuing through Tuesday, Nov. 28, each team will play four designated Group Play games on “Tournament Nights” – one game against each opponent in its group, with two games at home and two on the road. Eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds: the team with the best standing in Group Play games in each of the six groups and two “wild cards” (the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group). The Knockout Rounds will be single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (played in NBA team markets on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), Semifinals and Championship.
All 67 games across both stages of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the regular-season standings except the Championship 1. The winning team will hoist the sport’s newest trophy—the NBA Cup.
The NBA Cup is a new addition to the NBA’s trophy collection and is designed to be a symbol of excellence and innovation. The trophy is made of sterling silver and stands at 2 feet tall and weighs approximately 14.5 pounds. The trophy features a basketball on top of a cup with handles, with the words “NBA Cup” inscribed on the front.
The winning team will hoist the NBA Cup and receive a prize pool of about $18 million 2. The prize money will be distributed among the players, coaches, and staff of the winning team
As we look forward to this exciting season, fans can expect to see some of their favorite players in new jerseys. Bradley Beal has joined Phoenix Suns, Chris Paul has moved to Golden State Warriors and Damian Lilliard will now play for Bucks.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the start of this thrilling season!
