The Washington Post reports that the league officials wanted the tournament games to have a distinct look and feel to enhance its credibility and make it stand out on the busy 82-game calendar.

To make a grand entrance when the tournament commences this Friday, the NBA has undertaken a comprehensive visual redesign of its playing courts. Instead of traditional hardwood, the courts will now feature a painted look that prominently showcases the new NBA Cup trophy design at the center court and in the paint on both ends of the floor. Each court's design will also correspond to the color scheme of the respective team's "City Edition" jerseys, allowing fans and television viewers to quickly differentiate tournament games from regular season games.

In order to maintain consistency across the league, the tournament courts will be oriented horizontally for a better television viewing experience. The playing surface, measuring 94 feet long by 50 feet wide, will be divided into thirds, with a dominant color at the top and bottom, separated by a 16-foot central strip of a secondary color. The bold aesthetic will be further emphasized by the dominant color appearing around the edges of the playing surface on all four sides.

For example, the Los Angeles Lakers will be competing on a predominantly yellow court with a purple central strip, featuring their logo at the center court on top of the NBA Cup trophy. Each court draws inspiration from the team's uniforms, creating a unique and vibrant atmosphere for the in-season tournament.

Christopher Arena, the NBA's head of on-court and brand partnerships, expressed the league's commitment to elevating the tournament's significance saying, "We're all trying to figure out the best ways we can elevate this from the regular season so that people understand how important this is. It all comes together in the most powerful way in these courts."

The unveiling of the Phoenix Suns' tournament court design garnered amazement and disbelief from Kevin Durant, a 13-time NBA All-Star. The purple court with a turquoise central strip, adorned with the words "El Valle" (Spanish for "The Valley") over the NBA Cup trophy logo, presents a striking departure from the team's usual look featuring standard hardwood, an orange logo at center court, and purple paint in the key.

Washington Wizards will be playing on a gray court with a teal central strip bearing the team's logo at center court, while the Boston Celtics will trade their iconic parquet design for a deep green court and a champagne central strip. The Celtics' court will showcase the word "Boston" at center court, and pay tribute to legendary coach Red Auerbach and Hall of Famer Bill Russell with their names and jersey numbers at the bottom of the design.

The much-anticipated in-season tournament will kick off this Friday and continue on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout November, with the exception of Election Day. The tournament will conclude on December 9th with the semifinals and championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The round-robin group stage will see the 30 teams divided into six groups of five, and the top eight teams, including the six group winners and two wild cards, will advance to the knockout round.

The NBA hopes that the in-season tournament will address the challenges faced during the regular season and enhance competition. Similar to the play-in tournament introduced in 2020, the tournament aims to boost early-season excitement. The winning team will lift the NBA Cup, crafted by Tiffany & Co., and each player will receive a $500,000 bonus and a medal. Additionally, an MVP and an all-tournament team will be recognized to add further prestige to the event.

Alongside the court designs and jerseys, teams will don special in-season tournament shooting shirts, and the ball rack will be adorned with a new insignia. The game ball for the semifinals and finals will also feature a unique logo as an added touch of distinction.

The NBA's bold move to create visually captivating tournament courts is aimed at capturing the attention of fans and establishing the in-season tournament as a highlight of the calendar. By bringing together unique designs and embracing vibrant colors, the league hopes to make the tournament a memorable experience for players and fans alike.