NBA Tournament’s Huge Prize Pool: Find Out What the Winners Earn!

Launched in 2023, the Emirates NBA Cup—initially known as the NBA In-Season Tournament—features a mix of group stages and single-elimination rounds held during November and December.

This tournament was created to inject additional excitement and competitive stakes into the early NBA season, strategically scheduled on Tuesdays and Fridays to avoid conflicts with NFL games.

Teams compete not only for prestige but also for a substantial monetary reward.

Earnings for Winners of the NBA In-Season Tournament

Each player on the champion team of the NBA Cup will be awarded $500,000. For NBA superstars earning top salaries, this amount might resemble an extra paycheck.

Players under two-way contracts also benefit, receiving $250,000 each, which nearly equals half of their annual earnings, providing a significant financial incentive.

Detailed Prize Distribution in the NBA In-Season Tournament

The prize pool is not limited to the tournament winners. Cash rewards are extended to every team reaching the quarterfinals, with the amount increasing as teams progress further.

The previous season’s champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, earned a cumulative $650,000 per player, breaking down to $500,000 for the championship, $100,000 for reaching the semifinals, and $50,000 for the quarterfinals.

Comparison of NBA In-Season Tournament Prizes with Other Sports

While the ultimate goal for many players remains the NBA Finals, the introduction of this in-season tournament has shifted some focus towards earlier competition.

The change in attitude was noticeable as the tournament progressed last year, particularly from the group stages to the more competitive quarterfinals.

The final match between the Lakers and the Indiana Pacers had the intensity and atmosphere of a pre-Christmas playoff game.

Anthony Davis, for the Lakers, delivered an outstanding performance with 41 points and 20 rebounds in their 123–109 victory, showing a remarkable level of intensity from the start, especially after sustaining a hard hit in the third quarter.

This added a distinctive layer to the competition.

It remains to be seen whether this enthusiasm for the NBA Cup will persist into its second year and beyond.

Recipients of the NBA In-Season Tournament Prize Money

All team members, including those on two-way contracts, receive prize money, although those on two-way deals receive half the full amount. The head coach is awarded the same as players, while assistant coaches receive 75% of the head coach’s prize.

Evaluation of the NBA In-Season Tournament’s Prize Structure

Though it might seem surprising to see a multimillion-dollar NBA player receive a $500,000 bonus, the tournament’s prize structure is quite generous compared to other sports.

For instance, Super Bowl winners this season will get a $164,000 bonus, which is a flat rate not influenced by individual performance, unlike the performance-based bonuses in the NBA and MLB. Last season’s World Series champions, the Texas Rangers, distributed approximately $440,000 per player in full shares.

The NHL’s Stanley Cup winners, the Florida Panthers, received about $285,000 per player from a total league payout of $6.5 million last season.

Future Prospects for the NBA In-Season Tournament Prize Pool

While the prize pool has not changed this year, there is ongoing speculation about potential increases, driven by new broadcasting deals, such as those possibly involving Amazon seeking exclusive rights to stream later stages of the tournament.

Amazon has shown aggressive interest in sports streaming recently, and other platforms might also compete for broadcasting rights.

With substantial broadcasting rights payments potentially on the horizon, it seems plausible that the tournament’s prize pool could see an increase.