• Loading stock data...
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

NBA Cup Courts Receive Mixed Reviews in Year 2 Debut

Eight NBA teams played on their NBA Cup courts on Tuesday, with the Sixers and Warriors courts appearing on national television.

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The first set of court designs for the Emirates NBA Cup was used Tuesday, and, depending on perspective, were either remarkable or a complete eyesore.

Eight teams unveiled their home court during Day 1 of the second iteration of the NBA’s in-season tournament. The new designs, created by artist Victor Solomon, were tied to the Nike Statement Edition uniform of each team, so the courts ranged from a deep green base in Boston to a light gray in Golden State.

TNT’s Inside the NBA crew reacted favorably to the designs. “That’s a sweet court right there,” Charles Barkley said about the Celtics’ court. Kenny Smith agreed, while Ernie Johnson said he preferred the gray Trail Blazers court with rose silhouettes to symbolize the “city of roses.”

However, not everyone was pleased with the designs. The Sixers’ blue court, which was featured in the first national game on TNT, received some poor feedback from fans, with some on X calling the court “horrendous” or “an atrocity.”

“Sixers look like they’ve got a rubber court,” Bomani Jones wrote on X.

Even Sixers coach Nick Nurse wasn’t pleased with the new design. “I like the blue court a lot better [than last year’s], but boy, that’s not saying a whole lot,” Nurse said after the game.

While the reviews on the court’s aesthetics may be mixed, fortunately for the NBA, there have yet to be any major complaints about the designs affecting player performance. Last season, the three-point arc in Denver’s Ball Arena had to be reapplied due to alignment issues, while some players found the excessive designs to be slippery.

“As players, we’re all here for the in-season tournament because it’s going to generate revenue, excitement, competition,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said last November. “We’ve got to make sure the floor is safe to play on. We can’t put our players out there and risk their health.”

The league prioritized the quality of the courts this year, working with a single vendor, rather than three different ones last season, to manufacture the floors.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Adam Silver

Congress Wants to Hear from Adam Silver on Gambling Scandal This Week

Silver said he was “deeply disturbed” by the arrests.

MLB Union Chief on Alert As NBA Gambling Scandal Unfolds

The union leader addresses labor and gambling-related concerns.
Terry Rozier

Terry Rozier Will Be Paid Full NBA Salary While on Leave

The Heat are scheduled to pay Rozier $26.6 million for this season. 

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Rob Manfred

Canada Could Get MLB Expansion Team, Manfred Says

The league has noted fast-rising fan interest north of the border. 
Jun 18, 2022; Washington, DC, USA; Grammy award-winning artist Pharrell Williams performs at the Sun Stage during the Something in the Water festival on Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Washington, DC.
October 23, 2025

MLB Will Try to Turn the World Series Into More Than Just..

The league has planned a series of showcase music performances in Toronto.
October 23, 2025

Underdog Blue Jays vs. Dodgers’ Mega-Payroll on MLB’s Global Stage

The high-profile matchup caps what has been a breakthrough season for the league.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

Fans can now follow their favorite golfers and experience every marquee moment at the Ryder Cup — thanks to innovation from T-Mobile.
October 23, 2025

Gambling Issues Dogged Adam Silver’s NBA Before Latest Scandal

Silver vocally backed legalized sports betting in 2014.
October 23, 2025

Raptors, Leafs Shift Games to Make Way for Blue Jays’ World Series..

The Maple Leafs and Raptors adjust game times during the World Series.
October 23, 2025

As the NFL, NBA, and NHL Go Global, The Masters Is Looking..

The tournament’s chairman touted new qualification measures.
Adam Silver
October 22, 2025

Adam Silver Kicks Off Another Cycle of WNBA Labor Tension

The CBA expires next week.