The NBA Cup Finals are not an entire series, no home court advantage and only one game to the cup, just at a neutral host. Since the launch of the tournament, three finals have been held, each with a different champion.
For those who aren't following this year's game, or simply want the history, it includes the format, the venue, and all the NBA Cup champions, runners-up and MVP's going back to the start of the game.
In one line: The NBA Cup Final is the one championship game that caps the NBA Cup, a knockout round single-elimination series that is played at a neutral, predetermined site. Everything below deals with how that game is set up and those who have won it till now.
The NBA Finals in June is a best of 7 series, which is not the case for the NBA Cup Final. The two teams (one from each of the two conferences) that advance to the semis face each other only once, with the victor claiming the trophy that night.
The finalists for this season have not yet been decided - this cycle of group play continues until the end of November and the bracket which determines the two teams to compete in the Finals is finalised in the knockout rounds in early December. Keep an eye on it after the semifinals are complete and get a scouting report on each team's run to the final.
For a sense of what a Finals night looks like, here's the most recent championship that was just completed:
December 16, 2025 at 1 p.m. (PST) in the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas; New York Knicks 124, San Antonio Spurs 113.
The Knicks trailed by five points going into the fourth quarter before they came out with an 11-of-12 scoring spree to take charge, finishing with a 35-19 fourth quarter point advantage. OG Anunoby had five three-pointers and 28 points to lead New York, while NBA Cup MVP Jalen Brunson had 25 points and eight assists. Victor Wembanyama, who missed 12 games with a calf injury, scored 18 points coming off the bench for San Antonio while the Spurs' Dylan Harper had 21 points as a reserve. As in all Cup Final games, this victory didn't impact the club's record, but the six wins in a row and 10 of their last 11 games were.
Both teams play their championship game in a neutral location, which is intentional to make the game fair to both teams and is to ensure that it is treated as a game separate from a regular-season game night. There is not a series, there is only one game, it is played as one game, not a series.
The choice of venues has changed throughout the short history of the tournament. The initial three championships (2023–25) took place at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada outside of Las Vegas. Beginning in 2026, the league agreed to rotate the final to cities with basketball history, and the final was held at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the old basketball hall in Indianapolis, where the movie "Hoosiers" was filmed.
There have been three NBA Cup Finals played, but there is no repeat champion so far:
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Score | MVP |
| 2023 | Los Angeles Lakers | Indiana Pacers | 123–109 | LeBron James |
| 2024 | Milwaukee Bucks | Oklahoma City Thunder | 97–81 | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| 2025 | New York Knicks | San Antonio Spurs | 124–113 | Jalen Brunson |
The first three have all been won by different franchise with the MVP going to a star from the winning team each time, with LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jalen Brunson winning the MVP honors.
Championship night is the largest single betting night of the tournament and it's best done on a platform which is licensed for Philippine bettors. The essence of Sports OKBet is precisely that.
The entire tournament is summarized in the NBA Cup Finals - one game, one location, one trophy that's been won by a different team each year to date. Once the bracket is decided, be sure to bookmark this page for the official match-up and if you're betting on the night of the championship, do it from a legitimate betting site, licensed to accept bets from the Philippines. Learn live odds on the NBA Cup Finals and back your side on the biggest night of the tournament on Sports OKBet.
The single game which caps off the NBA Cup — a one-game, winner-takes-all affair between the two conference knockout winners at a neutral site and not at either team's home arena.
The Los Angeles Lakers (2023), Milwaukee Bucks (2024), and New York Knicks (2025) are the three teams to win so far. There has never been a repeat champion.
A single game only. The championship of the NBA Cup is played as a one-game winner-take-all, unlike the NBA Finals which is a seven-game series played in June.
As opposed to the home court of either finalist. The first three editions (2023-2025) were held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, while the 2026 championship was at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
No — it's one game in the tournament that no one plays for points toward their regular season record — but the trophy, MVP and player bonuses are very real.
Yes. There is a separate MVP for each championship, and it goes to a star for the winning team, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jalen Brunson have all won this award in the tournament's first three years.
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