LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas is set to host the Final Four of the NBA’s first in-season tournament. The semifinals and finals are slated to take place Dec. 7 and 9, according to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
The venue where the games would be played wasn’t included in Wojnarowski’s report, but T-Mobile Arena would be the likely landing spot.
The dates would work out with the Golden Knights’ home schedule, as they play at home Dec. 4 and then are away until Dec. 10. The annual National Finals Rodeo will be taking place at nearby Thomas & Mack Center during the reported December dates.
No one from the NBA was able to confirm the ESPN report on Wednesday. The league has scheduled a news conference for Saturday to announce the details and locations of the in-season tournament.
The group drawings for where each team will end up playing in the tournament will also be revealed at the news conference.
Statistics accumulated during the tournament, outside of the championship game, will count toward the NBA regular season.
Last year NBA commissioner Adam Silver told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the league was looking at an in-season tournament and that the Final Four would potentially be held at a neutral site.
“No question we would look at Las Vegas as a potential destination,” Silver told the Review-Journal last July. “All of our events, when we’re thinking about going to so-called neutral markets, Las Vegas is always in a top group of cities we can consider. You have incredible hotels, entertainment outside of basketball and great facilities. Without being specific as to the events, we’re always thinking of Vegas as a possible destination.”
The tournament would include all 30 NBA teams split up into six groups, playing four games counting toward the tournament during specified days during the regular season. That would allow for each of the five teams in each bracket to face each other at least once.
The top teams from each of the six divisions and two wild-card teams after those regular-season games occur will make up the final eight teams moving on to a single-elimination round. The winning teams from the top eight would make up the four teams that would meet in Las Vegas.
Each player on the winning team would reportedly receive $500,000.
In-season tournaments are not common among the major American professional sports leagues, outside of the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup.
Commissioner’s Cup games are held throughout the season leading up to a champion being crowned. Last season the Aces won the Commissioner’s Cup, leading up to their WNBA championship run.
Adding the tournament Final Four would further strengthen the NBA’s ties with Las Vegas, adding to Summer League, the 2007 NBA All-Star Game and preseason contests held in Southern Nevada over the years.
Oak View Group is planning to build a $10 billion project that would include an NBA-ready arena on a portion of land on Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road.
Although no decision has been made on potential NBA expansion, Silver said the league is keeping an eye on Las Vegas and is aware of the Oak View Group’s plans.
