The race for the 2024-2025 NBA Cup has officially started.
16 teams were in action Tuesday night, competing in the first game of this in-season tournament.
This is the second year of the NBA putting this on, and it has received mixed reviews from fans and analysts.
Some have indicated this is a fun, exciting event, while others have spoken negatively about it.
Viewership has been down all year, and if this is an opportunity for the NBA to get more viewers, they’re going to take all the help they can get.
Rob Parker recently talked about this event on FOX Sports Radio, indicating that he’s not a fan.
“The NBA Cup is the biggest fraud in sports. Stop dressing up a pig and telling us it’s cute, ’cause it ain’t cute,” Parker said.
🎙️@robparkerMLBbro: “The NBA Cup is the biggest Fraud in Sports. Stop dressing up a pig & telling us that it’s cute cause it ain’t cute.”
🎙️@Kdubblive: “Nobody is acting like this is replacing the NBA Finals. Last season, it ended up being fun.”https://t.co/JxI4uA7gLz
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) November 13, 2024
To him, the NBA Cup feels forced, and he doesn’t think it’s a good idea.
His co-host, Kelvin Washington had a different opinion, saying, “Nobody is acting like this replacing the NBA Finals. Last season, it ended up being fun.”
Washington tried to say that this event is separate from the NBA Finals, and it’s an opportunity for players to compete for something else during the year.
The All-Star Game and surrounding activities continue to dwindle in popularity, but this new, exciting event could be something to bring fans back in.
As Washington mentioned, the in-season tournament was viewed as a success by many people last year, and if it goes well, it could have a similar impact this season.
