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The NBA is leaving Las Vegas — for the NBA Cup final, at least.
The league announced Tuesday it will hold next season’s NBA Cup final at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled for Dec. 11. The NBA did not address where the semifinal games will be held.
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The league had previously held the NBA Cup semifinals and final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas since its inception in 2023. But the NBA’s contract with the arena was on a year-to-year basis, opening up the possibility of moving the early-season showcase to a different locale.
Hinkle Fieldhouse will host the 2026 NBA Cup final.
(Jamie Sabau via Getty Images)
That prompted speculation that the NBA Cup could move to Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, as the league reportedly sought a unique setting in a historic basketball venue.
It turns out that the league decided on another classic college basketball gym, just on Butler’s campus. The change of venue will come with a significantly reduced capacity of 9,100. But it comes with the promise of a raucous college atmosphere and a compelling product for the Amazon Prime stream of the game.
Holding the game at Butler’s campus instead of at Cameron Indoor or at another college venue like Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse places the game in an NBA city, which may have been a factor amid concerns that a December game on a college campus may have drawn dampened interest amid exams or winter break.
Growing success of the NBA Cup
The NBA Cup will take place for its fourth season in 2025-26. An in-season tournament modeled after those of European soccer leagues, its intent is to ramp up stakes and interest in early-season NBA basketball.
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The tournament was met with skepticism when it was announced, but has grown in popularity and intensity over the course of three seasons. The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks won the first two NBA Cups in 2023 and 2024.
Last season’s Cup final saw the New York Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs, which turned out to be a preview of the matchup and the result of the NBA Finals.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/breaking-news/article/nba-cup-final-leaving-las-vegas-for-butlers-hinkle-fieldhouse-230511701.html
Author : Jason Owens
Publish date : 2026-06-30 23:05:00
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