During the 2023-24 season, the league introduced the NBA Cup, initially branded as the NBA In-Season Tournament. The competition was designed to generate additional excitement during the regular season.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver viewed the tournament as a way to encourage players to compete with greater intensity throughout the regular season. Some players have been criticized for conserving energy during the season in preparation for the playoffs.
Although Silver’s approach has proven effective, NBA legend Charles Barkley has argued that it is unusual for players to require a regular-season tournament such as the NBA Cup to remain motivated.
Charles Barkley Questions the Value of the NBA Cup
The NBA Cup is now in its third season and has once again motivated many teams to rise to the occasion. One of the major reasons players work hard to win the cup is to claim the trophy and gain bragging rights as the best team in the regular season.
The league has also financially incentivized the top four teams in the cup, giving players more reasons to play at a higher level. Depending on how they rank in the cup, each player will receive a bonus cash prize on top of their salary for the season.
Barkley thinks the idea of paying players extra money to perform at a higher level is ridiculous. During a recent episode of “The Tom Tolbert Show,” Barkley expressed his sentiments regarding the NBA Cup as a whole.
“I think the cup thing is somewhat embarrassing,” Barkley told Tolbert. “I’m disappointed that we have to make an in-season tournament to make these guys more money so they won’t do load management.”
“But to have to pay these guys extra money to make them play other games — they should play basketball because they’re well-compensated to play basketball,” Barkley continued. “To do an in-season tournament to make them extra money, come on, man. That’s a little bit ridiculous.”
To Barkley’s credit, there is merit to his observation. Several active NBA players rank among the highest-paid athletes in the world, according to Forbes. In its 2025 list, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant were all included in the top 10.
Given the substantial salaries NBA teams provide across their rosters, Barkley’s assertion that players should compete diligently during the regular season regardless of the presence of an in-season tournament is not unfounded.
The NBA Cup is set to award its third title on Tuesday, as the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks meet in the championship game.