After the Milwaukee Bucks captured the NBA Cup title last year by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New York Knicks etched their name into the tournament’s short but growing history this season. New York rallied past the San Antonio Spurs with a (124–113) victory on Tuesday night, claiming the NBA Cup championship in Las Vegas.
However, ahead of the 2026 NBA Cup championship game between the Knicks and Spurs, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver offered intriguing insight into the future of the in-season tournament.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Made a Revelation Regarding the NBA Cup
Speaking during an interview on the “NBA on Prime” set in Las Vegas, Silver formally acknowledged that the league is considering moving the NBA Cup title game out of Las Vegas after its current three-year run.
While Las Vegas has served as the tournament’s centerpiece, Silver suggested that future editions could explore a more diverse and nostalgic approach.
“You already know we’re going to go back to home markets for the NBA Cup semifinal games next year because I think that teams, in a way, the reason we didn’t do that the first time out is teams were worried they wouldn’t be able to sell the tickets on short notice. Now that they’re seeing that their fans care about the Cup, they want the benefit of a home crowd and the energy that’s there.”
“We’re talking with Amazon Prime about whether it makes sense to maybe go to some unique locations for the final game. They’ve suggested, for example, some storied college arenas. So, we’re just looking at other ways we could do this,” said Silver during the interview.
Although official viewership numbers for the championship game have not yet been released, early indicators point toward meaningful growth.
As per the NBA, the semifinals delivered encouraging results. If we see Saturday night’s games on Prime Video, the game averaged 1.67 million viewers, which marked a 14 percent increase compared to last season. The doubleheader featuring San Antonio versus Oklahoma City and New York against Toronto generated more than 400 million views on social media, which also represented a massive year-over-year jump and highlighted the tournament’s expanding footprint.
If we see storied arenas such as Cameron Indoor Stadium, Allen Fieldhouse, Rupp Arena, Pauley Pavilion, and the Dean Smith Center, they could offer fans a different feel from the typical NBA neutral site. The change could also introduce geographic variety and help attract new audiences by tapping into basketball’s most passionate fan bases.
On the court, Tuesday night’s championship delivered a compelling finish. OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 28 points, while Jalen Brunson added 25 points. The Knicks trailed by two points after the first quarter and remained down by the same margin at halftime.
But it was in the second half that the momentum shifted as New York scored a total of 65 points. San Antonio struggled to keep pace and was ultimately defeated.
The victory marked a defining moment for New York and underscored the NBA Cup’s growing significance. For the league, it was also a successful showcase of what the tournament can become.
