Jamal Murray may be one of the faces of the fledgling NBA Cup in its second year, but he wasn’t just acting when he was asked if these games mean anything extra. Maybe he was being a good salesman by establishing the stakes,

The full slate of NBA Cup games on Tuesday night will feature a brand new basketball on the court. The league announced Tuesday that a new design will grace the leather of the Wilson-branded ball. The NBA Cup logo will be featured above the Wilson logo in front of a background of a bracket-themed layer is printed on the cover.

December 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the basketball against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter of the in-season tournament championship at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Cup is back for a second season, starting Tuesday night and running through Dec. 17. It was called the In-Season Tournament last year when it debuted, after years and years of Commissioner Adam Silver wanting to add something extra to the regular season.

Prize money for players participating in the 2024 NBA Cup has increased by about a 3% over last year's in-season tournament.

The 2024 NBA Cup tipped off Tuesday night with the first eight games on the schedule in the league's in-season tournament. While the event has a fancy new name (the Emirates NBA Cup) and revamped court designs,

The in-season tournament, known as the NBA Emirates Cup, is back. With new court designs for all 30 teams, the tournament tipped off Tuesday night with a pair of high-profile returns in each conference.