By The Athletic NBA Staff | The Athletic, 2025-12-18 11:30:58
第三届NBA杯已正式落下帷幕，但它给我们留下了一些问题。文班的崛起对联盟意味着什么？尼克斯的实力究竟如何？这项锦标赛的未来又将走向何方？本周，The Athletic 的六位驻拉斯维加斯记者将分享他们的所见所闻。
- 在拉斯维加斯期间，你最大的篮球层面的收获是什么？
詹姆斯·爱德华兹三世 (James Edwards III)： OG·阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby) 本赛季是全明星级别的。除了因伤缺席两周外，这一点在当前几乎无可辩驳。他是尼克斯队内最好的防守者、最好的三分射手，并且为这支纽约球队增添了一层令人生畏的威慑力，这是他缺阵时球队所没有的。我认为在东部，很难找出15个本赛季表现比他更出色的球员。
乔什·罗宾斯 (Josh Robbins)： 阿奴诺比将尼克斯提升到了一个没有他便无法企及的高度。阿奴诺比是联盟中最出色、最多才多艺的防守者之一，他命中空位三分的能力对尼克斯的进攻至关重要。早在多伦多时期，联盟内的球员和教练就已经了解阿奴诺比的价值，但在联盟之外，他被严重低估了。当然，杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson) 是纽约队最重要的球员，但阿奴诺比的价值同样至关重要。
扎克·哈珀 (Zach Harper)： 我不会说这是文班的崛起，但绝对是文班的回归提醒了我们一些已知的事实。是的，他在NBA杯决赛中表现糟糕，但那场比赛的数据和记录本就不计入常规赛统计。维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 以一种史上罕见的方式影响着比赛，我们必须提醒自己，在这个国家他甚至还没到法定饮酒年龄。在他伤愈复出（姑且算是）的两场比赛中，他犯了大量错误，但也展现了大量无法否认的天赋。我不确定他目前所展现的是否只是他未来潜力的冰山一角。他只需要保持健康，留在场上。
乔·瓦尔登 (Joe Vardon)： 所有人都需要冷静下来……哈哈。我的意思是，我们不能因为马刺在这次锦标赛中的表现就断定他们已经成功崛起了。还没到那个时候。他们在某些位置上仍然非常、非常年轻，一些最重要的球员甚至从未打过季后赛。此外，周二在场边观战时，我忍不住想：‘在很长一段时间里，马刺的比赛将会非常有趣。’ 拜托，维克托，保持健康，兄弟，这项运动需要你。而围绕文班的核心阵容，即使尚未完全成型，也已经令人印象深刻。
萨姆·阿米克 (Sam Amick)： 不，先生，瓦尔登先生，我可不会跳下这趟追捧文班/马刺的列车。 正如我所写，在决赛中憾负尼克斯后，他们在半决赛中战胜雷霆那场传递出强烈信号的胜利，才是所有时刻中最有意义的。在26场比赛中第二次击败雷霆——而且还是在一个颇具分量的舞台上——这会让你不禁思考，这支队伍成长为真正冠军争夺者的速度，是否会比我们预期的快得多。话虽如此，赛程之神给了雷霆一个绝佳的复仇机会：他们将在周二客场挑战圣安东尼奥，然后在两天后的圣诞大战中主场迎战马刺。如果他们能在这两场比赛中都拿下胜利，那么或许我会考虑你关于冷静下来的建议。或许吧。
贾里德·韦斯 (Jared Weiss)： 我想我必须为这场关于马刺的辩论画上句号了，毕竟我每天都跟队报道他们。评判他们一直是一个令人疲惫的过程，因为坦率地说，每向前迈出一步，都会伴随着一丝微妙的现实——他们还没有为季后赛做好准备。这并不意味着他们不会成为本赛季常规赛中较好的球队之一，或者当季后赛来临时他们还没准备好。但他们确实还处于了解自身定位和团队磨合的极早期阶段。我们在对阵尼克斯的比赛末段看到了这一点，当时他们的三名控球后卫与文班同时在场，却找不到节奏。但那是他们第一次全员一起打球。更多的共同经历应该会带来更多的成长。
- 哪个场上瞬间最吸引你的注意？
阿米克： 在总决赛第四节末段，当我们在媒体席上实时争论谁应该当选NBA杯MVP时，杰伦·布伦森用一记在德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 头上的抛投，让决定变得简单起来。那球让尼克斯在比赛还剩3分41秒时领先5分。考虑到如果马刺获胜，福克斯很可能成为MVP，而且在布伦森进球后，这位马刺控卫自己的出手却偏出了（得益于约什·哈特 (Josh Hart) 的一次封盖），这一连串的攻防表现为我最终的MVP评选一锤定音。布伦森的数据并不算漂亮——27投11中得到25分（三分球5投1中），外加8次助攻和4次失误——但他在第四节（尼克斯35-19取胜）打满12分钟的主导表现，是决定比赛胜负的关键。
爱德华兹： 泰勒·科勒克 (Tyler Kolek) 命中一记三分，然后指着文班亚马的脸。这一幕完美地体现了这支尼克斯队的自信以及在迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 执教下的变化。科勒克，一位去年的次轮秀，在一场半重要的比赛中打了20分钟。他在第四节有关键表现。没有他的贡献，纽约队无法举起奖杯，这也要归功于布朗愿意尝试并信任手感火热的年轻人。
韦斯： 就像詹姆斯说的，科勒克在文班头上投进的那球太特别了。它完美诠释了我们希望NBA杯成为的样子——一个展示新星的舞台，一个让球队证明自己、改变常规赛议程的机会。那个瞬间火药味十足、激动人心，最重要的是，非常有趣。我来拉斯维加斯就是为了看一场秀，而科勒克做到了。
哈珀： 是雷霆对阵马刺比赛的最后9.8秒钟，却花了12分钟才打完。这或许不是最大的场上瞬间，但它让我可以借此机会再次强调我的观点：竞赛委员会需要解决比赛末段的这个问题。他们引入了“战术犯规（take foul）”规则，以阻止球队用廉价的、故意的犯规来破坏比赛流畅度和观赏性，从而阻止后场的快攻。然而，我们却能容忍球队在比赛最后几秒领先三分时故意犯规？难道我们真的不希望看到一支球队在关键时刻尝试投出追平比分的三分球吗？这种现象需要尽快被终结，这样我们才能在比赛的最后时刻看到真正的篮球。
罗宾斯： 文班亚马在因小腿拉伤缺席一个月后于周六复出，那场比赛是必看的篮球盛宴。这虽然是个简单的答案，但在我看来，也是最正确的答案。文班和他的队友们在他上场的21分钟内，净胜联盟最佳球队21分，场面极其火爆。
瓦尔登： 我想那球可能是斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 传的，也可能是福克斯，或者谁知道呢，但有人给文班亚马送出了一记空中接力，他在空中背对篮筐接到球，然后完成了一记反身扣篮。他可以成为比沙克更具威力的空接威胁，而且他还能拉开场上空间。一个7尺5寸的球员。我的天啊。
- 关于NBA杯的未来有很多讨论。你对拉斯维加斯的氛围最大的感受是什么？
爱德华兹： 我在拉斯维加斯待了大约一周，如果不是专门去报道NBA杯，我根本不会知道这件事正在发生。除非是在比赛时间临近时在球馆内或周围，否则街上没有多少人穿着尼克斯、魔术、雷霆或马刺的队服。我住在拉斯维加斯大道上，但完全感觉不到有什么大事在发生。当然，那里有一块广告牌，但在拉斯维加斯有上百万块广告牌。半决赛的观众人数也令人失望。决赛前，我遇到了一个为第三方公司工作的人，他们的任务是帮助填充座位——这在奥斯卡等大型活动中很常见。
这和夏季联赛完全不同。只有四支球队来到拉斯维加斯，然后是两支。夏季联赛给人的感觉是NBA全面占领了这座城市。而这次完全没有那种感觉。
哈珀： 这里的氛围时好时坏，有些奇怪，但当观众全情投入于文班、马刺和雷霆的精彩瞬间时，场面非常壮观。在尼克斯对阵马刺的比赛中，场馆里一度非常喧闹。我不知道，指望人们因为他们的主队进入决赛，就在12月一个平平无奇的周二心血来潮地飞到拉斯维加斯，这种模式是否可行且可持续。但我不确定让他们去杜克大学或堪萨斯大学的校园是否就能解决问题。至少在拉斯维加斯，你可以预料到一定程度的游客流量。
罗宾斯： 当我们谈论氛围时——无论是拉斯维加斯的NBA杯比赛还是任何地方的常规赛——都是球员造就了伟大的时刻。当文班面对卫冕冠军雷霆队时，现场气氛之所以火爆，是因为文班的个人魅力和雷霆队的卓越实力。
瓦尔登： 伙计们，我会做做爱德华兹的思想工作。他会想通的。听着，这是我第三次报道NBA杯。这次感觉最自然，运作得最好，也为我们呈现了最精彩的场上对决。雷霆对马刺和马刺对尼克斯的比赛，观众上座率都非常出色……对于这项赛事而言。座无虚席，几乎没有空位，观众的音量也达到了可以接受的水平。我认为大家对“氛围”的期望太高了，而这项锦标赛的其他所有基本要素都在正常运转。
韦斯： 我主要注意到的是，各支球队很享受在拉斯维加斯的时光。马刺在过去3.5周里只有36个小时待在家里。他们本可以放弃比赛，在家享受一周的休息，在自己的床上睡觉。相信我，作为一个全程在外的人，这段经历既有趣又累人。但他们全心投入。他们看到了这件事对他们试图成为冠军争夺者的长远价值。他们想要奖金。他们可以去玩骰子，享受米其林星级餐厅。当然，卖票和吸引观众对联盟和球队都很重要。但这项锦标赛更看重收视率而非门票收入。我认为对球迷来说，现场氛围对锦标赛未来的影响，远不及球员们的感受重要。
阿米克： 我是最后一个发言的，因为我只去了决赛现场，错过了大家公认非常火爆的马刺对雷霆的比赛。话虽如此，冠军赛的观众氛围一点也不差。它永远无法与季后赛的氛围相提并论，但比一场普通的12月中旬常规赛要有活力得多。至于球馆外的景象，在拉斯维加斯举办活动的残酷现实是，你总要与成百上千种其他娱乐选择竞争。因此，它感觉只是在罪恶之城发生的众多事件之一，而不是什么特别的事情。我真的遇到一个优步司机，他告诉我他完全不知道锦标赛在这里举行。
- 你是否感觉到，自创办以来，球员们对争夺NBA杯的投入程度是增加了还是减少了？
阿米克： 听听迈克·布朗在尼克斯夺冠后在场上接受采访时说的话，答案是响亮的“是的”。
“我们所有的球员都非常认真地对待它，”他谈到他们的NBA杯之旅时说。当他对亚马逊的泰勒·鲁克斯 (Taylor Rooks) 说这番话时，你可以看到背景里的米切尔·罗宾逊 (Mitchell Robinson) 指着他新帽子上的“冠军”字样。这是一个教练为球员定下基调的好例子，因为众所周知，布朗非常珍视这次夺冠机会。他的球员们似乎也做出了同样的回应。总的来说，随着球员们对赛制、利害关系（当然还有奖金）越来越熟悉，我认为他们对NBA杯的投入程度增加了。
爱德华兹： 尼克斯的球员们坚称，无论情况如何，他们每次踏上球场都想赢。所以，从这个角度来看，他们想赢得NBA杯，因为这意味着他们不断取胜。但我仍然不觉得NBA杯被视为一项多么了不起的成就。
哈珀： 我认为当小组赛接近尾声，“去拉斯维加斯”这个胡萝卜悬在面前时，球员们才会真正投入进来。我并不觉得在早期的小组赛中竞争有多激烈，这要看对阵情况。但当他们距离下一阶段只有一场之遥时，球员们肯定会意识到这个机会。
罗宾斯： 我认为乔纳森·艾萨克 (Jonathan Isaac) 在魔术队四分之一决赛获胜后说的话，最准确地评估了NBA杯对球员的重要性。艾萨克说：“我认为那些没能晋级或者在小组赛就被淘汰的球员，都会有同样的感觉，‘这太蠢了，我们不该搞这个。’但当你身处其中，显然有奖金因素，也有团队因素，我们想赢得它，你懂吗？所以，当我们打比赛时，它意味着一切。但当你从局外人的角度看，就很难对此产生动力。”
瓦尔登： 更多投入了。对于那些不知道的人，我住在克利夫兰。我收到了很多来自家乡亲友的短信，他们将电视上看到的拉斯维加斯的比赛水平，与他们每晚观看的……呃……比赛进行比较，这告诉我，NBA杯淘汰赛确实提升了比赛水平。前三届NBA杯的冠军是：勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 和那支该死的湖人队；扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 和雄鹿队；以及世界闻名的纽约尼克斯队。布伦森不像勒布朗或扬尼斯那样是超级巨星，但我的观点是，尽管大家都在谈论这项赛事缺乏声望，但前三届的冠军都非常有分量。现在正有一个孩子在看这些比赛，他五六年后会进入NBA，而赢得一座NBA杯将会是他的目标之一。你们等着瞧。
韦斯： 在一场NBA杯比赛后，我走向新闻发布室时，一名失利球队的球员从我身边走过。当他走到通往后台的双开门时，他用尽全力猛击了一扇门，并大声咒骂了一句。他带领着一队垂头丧气的球员，他们摇着头，盯着地面，这足以显示他们有多在乎那场比赛的胜负。尼克斯夺冠后，他们在酒店里与奖杯庆祝了数小时。这对他们和他们的家人来说意义非凡。他们明确表达了这一点。马刺队也有同样的感觉，他们一路上都在谈论，这将是他们多年重建后第一次赢得真正荣誉的机会。它是有意义的。随着时间推移，传统将沉淀为历史，它的意义会变得更加重大。
- 在你看来，NBA杯应该留在拉斯维加斯吗？如果搬迁，应该去哪里？
阿米克： 如果只考虑比赛现场的氛围，我会说该换地方了。那个把它搬到一个著名的大学场馆的流动想法可能真的很有趣。但你可能会在球员的兴趣程度上遇到问题，因为拉斯维加斯的诱惑是许多球员想进入决赛轮的主要原因之一。如果你是为了去北卡罗来纳州达勒姆市（据报道杜克大学的卡梅隆室内体育馆是一个可能的选择）而战，情况就不同了。不过，也许赛制上的改变——从明年开始只有总决赛在中立场地举行，而不是最后两轮——会有助于NBA解决这个问题。毕竟，这不像过去三年那样要求他们在那个城市待上一周。
爱德华兹： 我不介意总决赛在中立场地举行，但它应该离开拉斯维加斯。对于大多数东部球队来说太远了，而且可能导致更多的赛程冲突（例如，尼克斯从多伦多飞到纽约，待了一天，然后飞到拉斯维加斯，再去印第安纳波利斯）。在他们正常的西海岸客场之旅开始前，还得经历这样的折腾，这太疯狂了。
半决赛应该在种子排名更高的球队的主场举行，这样球迷们就可以在临近假期的时候，不必花钱来一场短途旅行就能享受到NBA杯的最后阶段。而总决赛，则应该在美国中部的某个地方举行。比如芝加哥、圣路易斯，甚至奥马哈。如果目标是庆祝NBA所能提供的篮球盛宴，那么总决赛是否在一个“派对城市”举行应该无关紧要。
哈珀： 你需要一个球员们想去的城市，我认为拉斯维加斯就是那个城市，如果我们想保持场地的中立性。球员们想去那里，我不确定你是否能说服他们去某个中西部城市或某个大学城。我不认为拉斯维加斯是一个完美的场地，但它可能是我们能找到的最好的选择了。
罗宾斯： 我认为中立场地能让半决赛和总决赛更像一个“盛会”。但过去三年存在一个根本问题。四分之一决赛和半决赛之间的间隔太短，对于大多数NBA球迷来说，临时预订从家乡到拉斯维加斯再返回的机票可能成本过高。即使机票不贵，这么短的时间也可能让球迷难以临时调整他们的工作安排。在理想情况下，拉斯维加斯很棒，因为它有大量的酒店房间和相对温暖的十二月天气。拉斯维加斯的问题在于，除了洛杉矶、圣地亚哥和菲尼克斯，对于大多数球迷来说，它太远了，无法心血来潮地开车前往。
瓦尔登： 是的，它应该留在拉斯维加斯，这里已经是联盟的卫星总部了。我看不出任何其他关于中立场地的想法能解决球迷兴趣这个根本问题，而且拉斯维加斯是一个温暖的目的地城市，当地居民也对参加大型体育赛事感兴趣。如果你持续向公众宣传，越来越受欢迎的NBA杯决赛在拉斯维加斯举行，现场的关注度就会增加。我保证。
韦斯： 抵达拉斯维加斯有助于强调这个地点如何融入到球队吸引球员参与NBA杯的大局中。在美国，没有几个地方比拉斯维加斯更让球员们愿意待上几天了。它还拥有举办联盟会议、赞助商活动、制作内容以及联盟能想到的任何其他活动的会展基础设施，让这看起来像一场盛大的 spectacle。联盟在拉斯维加斯举办夏季联赛是有原因的，尽管我们每次来这里都是110华氏度（约43摄氏度）的高温。
- 如果你有一根魔杖，现在可以改变NBA杯的一件事，那会是什么？
爱德华兹： 我希望看到上赛季G联赛排名前两位的球队，以及一两支欧洲球队参与进来。NBA想模仿欧洲足球锦标赛，但不同之处在于，西班牙的球队可能会遇到挪威的球队，或者托特纳姆热刺可能需要客场挑战一支英格兰第三级别联赛的俱乐部。而NBA杯只是同样的球队在打他们之间的第三、第四或第五次交手。想象一下勒布朗·詹姆斯和卢卡·东契奇不得不在大急流城打球？那才独特。虽然可能性极小，但这也为真正的冷门创造了机会。谁不爱看冷门呢？
我知道你只问了一个改变，但我还有一个：停止那些宣传。NBA每晚都有高水平的篮球比赛，无论球场地板是否被涂上颜色。有十几场非NBA杯的比赛，其精彩和激烈程度不亚于尼克斯和马刺之间的总决赛。NBA之所以要创造这个杯赛，是因为它在正确营销自身产品方面遇到了困难。每晚都有精彩的比赛！球员们不会仅仅因为地板是绿色的就打得更卖力！
哈珀： 把整个赛事压缩在两到三周内完成。我认为公众对此赛事接受度不高的问题之一（除了那些辣眼睛的球场设计），在于它与常规赛的其他部分太割裂了。“不好意思，哪几晚是NBA杯比赛来着？每周五，除了最后一周的某几天？”我知道赛程安排本身就很糟糕，但如果所有比赛都在同一个时间段内进行，并且只打这些比赛，你可能会对它有更好的理解。
还有，等NBA欧洲联赛成立后，让它也参与进来。这与常规赛如何协调？解决这个问题不是我的工作。我只负责提出一个不成熟的想法，然后就像在动作电影里把烟头弹向加油站一样走开。
韦斯： 让我们把它搞得更长一些！我是以一个NBA杯粉丝的身份来说这番话的，从彩色地板到决赛，再到关于它是否应该存在的无休止辩论，我都喜欢。大家抱怨常规赛单调乏味已经很久了，NBA听取了意见，并找到了一种让常规赛有不同轮廓和起伏的方式。这是迫切需要的。亚当·萧华在周二的新闻发布会上指出，联盟11月份的收视率有所上升，这清楚地表明，杯赛旨在提升NFL赛季期间的收视率，并搭建一座桥梁，直到圣诞大战将休闲球迷带回视线。我只是希望这能持续更久，延续到早春，为全明星周末后的沉闷期带来更多目标。如果他们能把半决赛安排在周五，总决赛安排在周日，那就更理想了。在一个游客众多的城市把总决赛安排在周二，这没什么道理。
罗宾斯： 让我们暂时接受一个有争议的说法：球员们在NBA杯小组赛和淘汰赛中打得更努力。如果这些比赛强度确实更高，那么这是否意味着杯赛结束后的几周内，常规赛的强度会比原本应有的水平更低？或者说球迷们会认为接下来的常规赛强度更低？如果后续的常规赛成了一种“缓和期”，那么我会想办法提升这些比赛的激烈程度。但我一时想不出简单的解决方案。
瓦尔登： 好吧，这个怎么样——如果你赢得了NBA杯并进入了季后赛，你将比你通过战绩赢得的系列赛多获得一次主场优势？比如说，NBA杯冠军以8号种子的身份进入季后
后赛。他们将在第一轮对阵1号种子的系列赛中主场打G1，而不是客场。或者，比如说NBA杯冠军是4号种子，本来就在第一轮拥有主场优势。在这种情况下，如果4号种子晋级到分区半决赛——那么这支球队，而不是1号种子——将主场打G1。
阿米克： 这里有一些很棒的想法，所以我会为同事们的创意起立鼓掌，同时加倍支持詹姆斯关于整合欧洲球队的想法。考虑到联盟计划最早在2027年启动NBA欧洲联赛，这将是让球迷开始熟悉这个篮球大家庭新成员的绝佳方式。
- 最后，一个重要问题：NBA球队应该为NBA杯冠军悬挂一面旗帜吗？
爱德华兹： 这是我的经验法则：如果你会悬挂分区冠军旗帜，那你就应该悬挂NBA杯冠军旗帜。如果你的球队只为NBA总冠军或分区（联盟）冠军悬挂旗帜，那么我认为你不应该为NBA杯挂旗。但如果你的球队没有赢得太多荣誉——这些球队往往会悬挂分区冠军旗帜——那么你就不应该觉得为NBA杯挂旗有什么不妥。
哈珀： 最终答案是，是的。对不起，当你们篮球圣地曾经都挂过胡克·霍根的横幅时，你们并没有高贵到不能悬挂一面NBA杯冠军旗帜。分区冠军旗帜可以挂，NBA杯的就不行？做一面带有奖杯的酷炫旗帜，然后每次夺冠时在上面加上年份。它不必和NBA总决赛的冠军旗帜一模一样。我可不想伤害你们的成就感，让它盖过了挂在你们退役球衣号码另一边的泰勒·斯威夫特巡演售罄横幅的风头。成熟点，把旗帜挂上去！
罗宾斯： 不，他们现在不应该悬挂NBA杯冠军旗帜，因为我认为这样做会通过一种微妙的暗示，削弱球馆穹顶上已有的任何NBA总冠军旗帜和退役号码的重要性。赢得NBA杯是一项成就吗？是的。但我认为它远未达到赢得NBA总冠军或季后赛分区冠军的级别。
不过，我永远不会说“永远不”。让我们看看季中锦标赛这个概念会如何发展。如果NBA杯能持续多年并最终获得NBA官员们所希望的声望，那么到那时再追溯性地悬挂旗帜或许是合适的。
瓦尔登： 是的。正如帕特里克·贝弗利 (Patrick Beverly) 曾经说过的……“如果詹姆斯都打了，那我们都得打。”如果NBA杯值得勒布朗和湖人队悬挂一面旗帜，那么它对任何球队来说都应该足够好。
韦斯： 当然要挂。如果你手里捧着一个巨大的奖杯，你怎么能不为此悬挂一面旗帜呢？有些球馆，比如波士顿的，他们只悬挂总冠军旗帜，所以他们应该被这条政策豁免。但如果联盟希望NBA杯变得正规化，那么他们就必须要求球队悬挂旗帜。这有助于使锦标赛合法化，并随着时间的推移创造更多的历史传承。
阿米克： 整场关于旗帜的讨论都让我感到厌烦。是的，把那该死的东西挂起来。处理和悬挂的方式可以清楚地表明它远不如NBA总冠军旗帜那么有价值（如果你有的话）。而尼克斯显然不打算挂他们的旗帜，这简直太傻了。更不用说布朗在赛后明确表示，他希望那面旗帜能升起在麦迪逊广场花园（几名球员也是如此）。
“任何时候你能参加一项赛事并成为最后的赢家，并且能够悬挂一面旗帜——尤其是在标志性的MSG——你都应该认真对待，”他说。
唉，看来长期以来的老板詹姆斯·多兰 (James Dolan)——他最近在任何事情上都与联盟意见相左——另有打算。有点眼力见吧，吉姆。你刚刚偷走了他们辛苦赢来的一部分喜悦。恭喜你。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA Cup reporters poll: What should change? Is Vegas the right fit? Hang the banner?
NBA Cup reporters poll: What should change? Is Vegas the right fit? Hang the banner?
The third installment of the NBA Cup is officially in the books, but it left us with questions. What does the rise of Wemby mean for the league? How serious are the Knicks? And what is the future of the tournament? The six writers who reported from Vegas for The Athletic this week weigh in with what they saw and heard.
1. What is your biggest basketball takeaway from your time in Vegas?
James Edwards III: OG Anunoby is an All-Star this season. It’s really hard to argue against it at this point, other than the fact he missed two weeks with an injury. He’s the Knicks’ best defender, best 3-point shooter and just adds another layer of fear to this New York team that is absent without him. I think it’s hard to name 15 players in the East better than he’s been this year.
Josh Robbins: Anunoby elevates the Knicks to a level they cannot reach without him. Anunoby’s one of the league’s best, most versatile defenders, and his ability to hit an open 3 is important to the Knicks’ offense. Players and coaches within the league have known Anunoby’s value going back to his days in Toronto, but he’s criminally underrated outside of the league. Of course, Jalen Brunson is New York’s most important player, but Anunoby’s value is critical.
Zach Harper: I won’t say the Rise of Wemby, but definitely the Return of Wemby reminded us of what we already know. Yeah, he had a stinker in the NBA Cup final, but that game doesn’t count for the real stats and records anyway. Wemby impacts the game in ways few ever have, and we have to remind ourselves he can barely drink in this country. Tons of mistakes and tons of undeniables with him in his two games (sort of) back from injury. I’m not sure he’s scratched the surface of anything he’ll be. Just needs to be on the court.
Joe Vardon: That everyone needs to CALM DOWN … ha. What I mean is, we cannot allow the Spurs’ run through this thing to tell us they arrived. Not yet. They are still very, very young in spots with some of the most important players having never been to the playoffs. Also, I couldn’t help looking out on the court Tuesday and thinking, ‘the Spurs are going to be so fun to watch, for a long time.’ Come on, Victor, stay healthy buddy, the sport needs you. And the core around Wemby is beyond impressive, if not quite yet complete.
Sam Amick: No, sir, Mr. Vardon, I will not hop off this Wemby/Spurs hype train. As I wrote after they fell short against the Knicks in the finale, that message-sending win over OKC in the semifinal was the most meaningful moment of them all. To hand the Thunder their second loss in 26 tries — on a stage of some substance, no less — was to make you wonder if this group can grow into a true title contender much faster than we’d expected. Now that being said, the schedule gods have gifted OKC with an incredible chance to get its revenge very soon: The Thunder play at San Antonio on Tuesday, then host the Spurs in front of a Christmas audience just two days later. If they take care of business in both of those games, then perhaps I’ll consider your advice about calming down. Maybe.
Jared Weiss: I guess I have to bring this Spurs debate to a close since I’m the one with them every day. Judging them has been an exhausting process because, frankly, every step forward has been met with some subtle dose of reality that they are not yet playoff-ready. That doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be one of the better teams in the league this regular season or they won’t be ready for the postseason by the time it arrives. But they are just so early in their process of understanding who they are and how they fit together. We saw it at the end of the Knicks game, when their three point guards shared the floor with Wemby and couldn’t find a rhythm. But that was their first time all playing together. More experience together should yield more growth.
2. What was the biggest on-court moment that caught your attention?
Amick: Late in the fourth quarter of the title game, when a few of us reporters were debating in real time on press row who should be deemed the Cup MVP, Jalen Brunson made the decision easy when he buried a floater over De’Aaron Fox that put the Knicks up five with 3:41 left. Considering Fox likely would have been the winner if the Spurs had won, and that the Spurs point guard followed Brunson’s bucket with a misfire of his own (courtesy of a Josh Hart block), that sequence sealed the deal for me when it came to the award. Brunson’s line wasn’t pretty — 25 points on 11-of-27 shooting overall (one of five from three) to go with eight assists and four turnovers — but the dominant fourth quarter (35-19) in which he played all 12 minutes was the difference.
Edwards: Tyler Kolek hitting a 3 and then pointing in Wembanyama’s face. It perfectly encapsulated the confidence of this Knicks team and the changes under Mike Brown. Kolek, a second-round pick last year, played 20 minutes in a semi-important game. He had big moments in the fourth quarter. New York doesn’t hoist the trophy without his contributions, and credit to Brown for being willing to experiment and ride with the hot-hand youngster.
Weiss: Like James said, the Kolek shot over Wemby was special. It epitomized what we want the cup to become, a showcase for emerging talent and a chance for teams to establish themselves and change the agenda of the regular season. It was spicy, it was thrilling and, most importantly, it was hilarious. I came to Vegas to see a show and Kolek made it happen.
Harper: It was the final 9.8 seconds of Thunder-Spurs taking 12 actual minutes. Maybe that’s not the biggest on-court moment, but it allows me to further my agenda that the competition committee needs to fix this problem at the end of games. They brought in the “take foul” to stop teams from messing up the flow and entertainment of games to stop fastbreaks in the backcourt with a cheap, intentional foul. And yet, we’re good with teams intentionally fouling when they’re up three in the final seconds of the game? God forbid we have a team actually attempt a game-tying 3-pointer in the clutch. This needs to be ended as soon as possible so we can watch some basketball at the end of games.
Robbins: Wembanyama’s return Saturday after a one-month absence because of a calf strain was must-watch basketball. That’s the easy answer here, but it’s also the correct one, in my opinion. For Wemby and his teammates to outscore the league’s best team by 21 points during his 21 minutes on the court was electric.
Vardon: I THINK it was either Stephon Castle, or maybe Fox, or, who knows, but someone threw a lob to Wembanyama and he caught it with his back to the basket, mid-air, and reverse dunked. He can be a more potent lob threat than Shaq, except he can also be a floor spacer. At 7-5. Oh my God.
3. There was lots of discussion about the NBA Cup’s future. What is your biggest takeaway on the vibe in Vegas?
Edwards: I was in Las Vegas for about a week, and if I weren’t there specifically to cover the NBA Cup, I wouldn’t have known it was happening. There weren’t a bunch of people walking around with Knicks, Magic, Thunder or Spurs gear unless it was in or around the arena close to game time. I stayed on the Strip and it wasn’t obvious what was going on. Sure, there was a billboard, but there are a million billboards in Las Vegas. The crowd for the semifinal game was underwhelming. Ahead of the final, I met someone who worked for a third-party company that helps fill seats – which is common for big events like the Oscars and such.
This was nothing like Summer League. Only four teams were in Las Vegas, and then two. Summer League feels like an NBA takeover. This didn’t feel like that.
Harper: The vibe was inconsistent and odd, but when the crowd embraced the moments of Wemby, the Spurs and the Thunder, it was spectacular. At times in the Knicks-Spurs game, that place got loud. I don’t know if expecting people to come to Vegas on a random Tuesday in December on a whim when their team makes the championship is viable and sustainable. But I’m not sure that’s the case for getting them to the Duke or Kansas campuses either. At least with Vegas, you can expect a level of tourism there.
Robbins: When we’re talking about atmosphere — whether it’s NBA Cup games in Vegas or a regular-season game anywhere — the players make the moment. The atmosphere when Wemby faced the reigning NBA champion Thunder was electric because of Wemby’s magnetism and because of the Thunder’s overall excellence.
Vardon: Guys, I’ll work on Edwards. He’ll come around. Look, this is my third NBA Cup. It felt the most natural, operated the best of the three, and gave us the best on-court product. The crowds for Thunder-Spurs and Spurs-Knicks were excellent … for this event. Sellouts, few empty seats, acceptable volume from the crowd. I think expectations of “vibe” are way too high, and everything else about the tournament fundamentally works.
Weiss: The main thing I noticed was the teams enjoying being in Vegas. The Spurs had only 36 hours at home in the past 3.5 weeks. They could have folded and enjoyed a week off at home to just sleep in their own beds. Trust me, as someone who has been away from home the whole time, it has been as exhausting as it’s been fun. But they were committed. They saw the big-picture value for them as they are trying to turn into a contender. They wanted the money. They got to enjoy the craps tables and the Michelin star restaurants. Sure, selling tickets and getting a good crowd matters for the league and the teams. But this tournament is more so about ratings than gate revenue. I don’t think the vibe for the fans matters as much for the future of the tournament than it does the players.
Amick: I’m bringing up the back end here because I was only there for the finale, meaning I missed out on the Spurs-Thunder special that everyone deemed so electric. That being said, the crowd for the title game wasn’t bad at all. It’s never going to rival a playoff atmosphere, but it had a whole lot more juice than your typical mid-December regular-season affair. As for the scene outside of the arena, the harsh truth about having it in Las Vegas is that you’re always going to be competing with hundreds — thousands, probably — of other entertainment options. As such, it just feels like one of the many things happening in Sin City as opposed to something special. I literally had an Uber driver tell me they had no clue the tournament was in town.
4. Do you sense the players have become more or less invested in competing for the Cup since its inception?
Amick: To hear Mike Brown tell it in his on-court interview after the Knicks won the whole thing, the answer is a resounding yes.
“All of our guys took it seriously,” he said of their Cup journey. As he said that to Amazon’s Taylor Rooks, you could see Mitchell Robinson in the background pointing to the ‘Champions’ word on his new hat. This is a good example of the coach setting a certain tone for his players, as it was widely known that Brown truly valued the chance to win the whole thing. His players, it seemed, responded in kind. Overall, I’d say players have grown more invested in Cup competition as they’ve grown to get more comfortable with the format and the stakes (and the money, of course).
Edwards: Knicks players were adamant that they want to win every time they step out on the court, no matter the circumstances. So, from that standpoint, they want to win the Cup because it means that they keep winning. I still don’t get the sense that the Cup is viewed as this grand accomplishment.
Harper: I think players buy in and become invested toward the end of group play when that “trip to Vegas” carrot is out in front of them. I don’t get a great sense that it’s any more competitive in the early group-play games, matchups withstanding. But the players definitely seem to realize the opportunity when they’re a game away from the next step.
Robbins: I think something that Jonathan Isaac said after the Magic’s quarterfinal win is the most accurate assessment of how important the Cup is to players. Isaac said: “I think the guys that aren’t making it or either get kicked out (in the group stage) have the same feeling like, ‘This is stupid. We shouldn’t be doing this.’ But when you’re in it and obviously there’s the money piece of it and there’s the team piece of it, we want to win it, you know? So, when we’re playing the game, it means everything. But when you’re from the outside looking in, it’s hard to be motivated about it.”
Vardon: More. For those of you who don’t know, I live in Cleveland. The amount of texts I received from family and friends back home comparing the level of play they saw on TV, in Vegas, to, ahem, what they’re watching night in and night out … tells me that the Cup knockout games do elevate play. The first three winners of the Cup: LeBron James and the freaking Lakers; Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks; and the World Famous New York Knicks. Brunson isn’t the star that LeBron or Giannis is, but my point is, for all this talk about a lack of prestige, the first three winners of this thing have a lot of cache. There is a kid watching these games right now who is going to be in the NBA in five or six years, and on his to-do list will be to win an NBA Cup. You watch.
Weiss: There was a moment after a Cup game where I was walking to the press room and a player from the losing team walked by. As he reached the double doors toward the back halls, he smacked a door as hard as he could and let out a loud expletive. Leading a train of dejected players who were shaking their heads and staring at the ground, he showed how much they cared about winning that game. After the Knicks won, they celebrated with the trophy for hours back at the team hotel. This meant something to them and their families. They were clear about it. The Spurs felt the same way, talking along the way about how this would be their first chance to win something real after rebuilding for years. It means something. As time goes on and tradition builds into history, it will mean more.
5. Should the Cup remain in Vegas in your opinion? If it moves, where should it go?
Amick: If it was only about the environment at the game itself, I would say it’s time to relocate. This floating idea of taking it to a celebrated college venue could be really fun. But you might run into a problem when it comes to the players’ level of interest, as the allure of Vegas is a major reason that so many of them want to make it to the final round. That’s not going to be the case if you’re fighting for the right to head to Durham, N.C. (Duke’s Cameron Indoor stadium has been reported as a possibility). Then again, maybe that’s where the shift in structure — only the title game will be at a neutral site starting next year as opposed to the final two rounds — helps the NBA’s cause. It’s not like you’ll be asking them to hang out for a week in that city like they have these past three years.
Edwards: I don’t mind the championship being at a neutral site, but it should leave Las Vegas. It’s too far for most Eastern Conference teams and can cause more scheduling conflicts (for example, the Knicks went from Toronto to New York, for one day, to Las Vegas and then to Indianapolis). It’s crazy that they had to do that before they even went on their normal west coast trips that are scheduled.
The semifinal should be played at the higher-seeded teams home arena so that the fans can enjoy the Cup toward its final stage without having to take a small vacation before the holidays. The final, though, should be played somewhere in the middle of the country. Let’s do Chicago or St. Louis or even Omaha. If the goal is to celebrate the basketball that the NBA has to offer, then it shouldn’t matter if the championship is in a “party” city or not.
Harper: You need a city the players are going to want to be in, and I think Vegas is that city, if we’re trying to keep the site neutral. Players want to be there, and I don’t know if you’re selling them on random midwestern cities or random college towns. I don’t think Vegas is a perfect venue, but it might be the best we have at our disposal.
Robbins: I think a neutral site makes the semifinals and championship game more of an “event.” But there’s been a fundamental problem the last three years. The timespan between the quarterfinals and the semifinals has been so brief that it’s perhaps cost-prohibitive for most NBA fans to book flights on short notice from their home bases to Vegas, and then back home. And if those flights aren’t too expensive, then perhaps the short timespan makes it too difficult for fans to change their work schedules on short notice. In a vacuum, Vegas is great because of all of its hotel rooms, and its relatively warm December weather. The problem with Vegas is that, with the exceptions of Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix, it’s too far away for fans to drive to on a whim.
Vardon: Yes, it should remain in Las Vegas, which is already the satellite capital for the league. I don’t see how any other idea for a neutral site solves the fundamental concern of fan interest, and Las Vegas is a warm destination city that also has a population interested in attending major sports events. If you continue to remind the electorate that the NBA Cup, which is growing in popularity, finishes in Las Vegas, on-site interest will increase. Promise.
Weiss: Arriving in Vegas helped underscore how the location fits into the big picture of how the teams make the Cup enticing for the players. There are few places in the country that players want to spend a few days than Vegas. It also has the convention infrastructure to hold league meetings, sponsor activations, generate content and whatever else the league can do to make this seem like a spectacle. There’s a reason the league convenes the summer league in Vegas, even though it’s 110 degrees every time we come through.
6. If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about the NBA Cup right now, what would it be?
Edwards: I’d like to see the top two teams from the previous G League season involved, as well as a European team or two. The NBA wanted to copy European soccer tournaments, but the difference is that teams in Spain might run into a team from Norway, or Tottenham might have to travel and play at a third-tier English club. The Cup is just the same teams playing one another for the third, fourth or fifth time. Imagine LeBron James and Luka Dončić having to play in Grand Rapids? That’s unique. While highly unlikely, it also opens the door for legitimate upsets. Who doesn’t love those?
I know you asked for one change, but I have one more: stop the propaganda. The NBA has high-level basketball being played every single night, whether the court is colored or not. There have been more than a dozen games not part of the Cup that were as entertaining and tightly-contested as the championship was between the Knicks and Spurs. The NBA had to create this Cup because it’s struggling to market its own product properly. THERE ARE GOOD GAMES EVERY NIGHT! PLAYERS DON’T PLAY HARDER JUST BECAUSE THE COURT IS GREEN!
Harper: Put the entire thing into a two- or three-week span. I think part of the problem of general buy-in on this (outside of the horrendous courts assaulting our eyes) comes from how split up it is with the rest of the regular season. “I’m sorry, which nights are NBA Cup games again? Every Friday except for some random days in the final week?” I know the schedule sucks to begin with, but if it all happened in the same span, and it was only those games, you’d probably get a better understanding of it.
That, and let’s get NBA Europe involved in it when that’s established. How would that work with regular-season games? It’s not my job to solve that problem. Just offer up a half-baked idea idea and then walk away like flicking a cigarette at a gas station in an action movie.
Weiss: Let’s make it last longer! I’m coming at this as a fan of the Cup, from the courts to the final to the incessant debate about whether it should even exist. Everyone complained about the regular season being monotonous for so long, the NBA listened and found a way to make the regular season have different contours and inflections. It was desperately needed. Adam Silver noted at his news conference Tuesday that the league’s November ratings were up, making it clear that the cup is designed to boost ratings during the NFL season and create a bridge until the Christmas Day slate brings the casual fans back into the fold. I’d just like to see this last longer and carry into the early spring, bringing more purpose to the lull after the All-Star break. It would also be ideal if they could do the semifinal on Friday and the championship on Sunday. Doing the title game on a Tuesday in a tourist-laden city doesn’t make much sense.
Robbins: For a moment, let’s accept the debatable narrative that players play harder in NBA Cup group-stage games and knockout games. If those games are indeed more intense, does that mean the regular-season games over the several weeks after the Cup ends are less intense than they otherwise would be? Or that fans perceive those subsequent regular-season games as less intense? If those subsequent regular-season games are a comedown, then I would try to find a way to ramp up those games. But I cannot think of an easy solution.
Vardon: OK, what about this – if you win the NBA Cup and make the playoffs, you get home-court advantage for one more series than you otherwise earned via your record? So let’s say the NBA Cup champ makes the playoffs as an No. 8 seed. They get to host Game 1 of the first round against the No. 1 seed, instead of the other way around. Or, let’s say the NBA Cup champ is a No. 4 seed for the playoffs, and would then have home court for the first round anyway. In this scenario, if the No. 4 seed advances to the conference semis – that team, and not the No. 1 seed – would host Game 1.
Amick: There are some great ideas in here, so I’ll just give a standing ovation for the crew while doubling down on James’ idea of integrating European teams. Considering the league’s plans to launch NBA Europe as soon as 2027, it would be a great way to start acquainting fans with the newest members of this basketball family.
7. And finally, the big question: Should NBA teams mark an NBA Cup championship with a banner?
Edwards: This is my rule of thumb: If you hang division banners, you should hang the NBA Cup banner. If you’re a franchise that only hangs banners for NBA championships or conference championships, then I don’t think you should hang one for the NBA Cup. But if you’re a franchise that hasn’t won a ton – those are the teams that tend to hang division banners – then you shouldn’t feel too big to hang one for the Cup.
Harper: Ultimately, yes. I’m sorry you’re not too good for hanging an NBA Cup banner in the Mecca of basketball when you had a Hulk Hogan banner at one point. Division banners are OK, but the Cup banner isn’t? Have a cool-looking banner with the trophy and then just add years to it when you win it. It doesn’t have to be the same as the championship banner for the NBA Finals. I don’t want to hurt your sense of accomplishment and have it overshadow the Taylor Swift tour sellout banner that’s on the other side of your retired jersey numbers. Grow up and hang the banner!
Robbins: No, they shouldn’t put up NBA Cup championship banners yet, because I think doing so would, by subtle implication, diminish the importance of any NBA championship banners and any retired numbers already up in the rafters. Is winning the Cup an achievement? Yes, it is. But I don’t think it’s close to the same level as winning an NBA championship or winning a postseason conference title.
Still, I would never say never. Let’s see how the in-season tournament concept plays out. If the Cup endures for many more years and ultimately gains the prestige that NBA officials hope it gains, then perhaps retroactive banners would be appropriate at that time.
Vardon: Yes. As Patrick Beverly once said …”if Bron hoopin, we all hoopin.” If the NBA Cup was worth a banner to LeBron and the Lakers, it should be good enough for any franchise.
Weiss: Of course you do. If you’re holding a giant trophy, how do you not hang a banner for that? There are some buildings, like in Boston, where they only hang championship banners, so they should be grandfathered out of this policy. But if the league wants the Cup to become legitimate, then they gotta ask teams to hang the banner. It helps legitimize the tournament and creates more historic lore over time.
Amick: This whole conversation about the banner annoys me. Yes, hang the damn thing. It can be handled, and hung, in the kind of way that makes it clear it’s not nearly as valuable as an NBA title banner (if you have one). And the fact that the Knicks are apparently not going to hang theirs is just silly. Never mind that Brown made it clear after the game that he wanted that thing to go up at Madison Square Garden (several players did, as well).
“Any time you can participate in any event where you’re the last one standing, and you’re able to hang a banner – especially at iconic MSG – you take that seriously,” he said.
Alas, it appears longtime owner James Dolan — who has been at odds with the league about anything and everything these days — had other plans. Read the room, Jim. You just stole some of the joy they worked so hard to earn. Congrats.
By The Athletic NBA Staff, via The Athletic