How Past NBA Cup Champions Went on to Finish the Season

As criticisms and debate rage around the NBA's In-Season Tournament, otherwise known as the NBA Cup, the tourney prepares to crown its third-ever champion, as the Knicks and Spurs face off in the championship round on Tuesday night. And while the NBA Cup's group play rounds, as well as the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, counted towards the league's 82-game schedule, the championship round will not. But does the NBA Cup championship round have an indirect effect on the teams who ultimately triumph?

In other words, how did past champions of the NBA Cup—the Lakers in 2023-24, the Bucks in 2024-25—perform the rest of the way in the regular season and in the postseason, if they advanced that far?

Let's take a deep dive.

Who are the past NBA Cup champions?

2023-24: Los Angeles Lakers

In the league's inaugural NBA Cup, the LeBron James and then-Anthony Davis-led Lakers snuck past the Suns by three points, then pulverized the Pelicans by 44 points to advance to the championship round, where they took on the Indiana Pacers. Led by James, the Lakers triumphed, and The King was named the first-ever NBA Cup MVP after he averaged 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per contest.

2024-25: Milwaukee Bucks

For the second straight season, the NBA Cup's top seed prevailed, as the Bucks, led by 2020-21 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, defeated the Magic and the Hawks to set up a date with the powerful Oklahoma City Thunder, who would go on to capture the NBA championship while blowing teams out by a record margin in the regular season. But on that night, it was all Milwaukee. The Bucks clamped down on defense and Oklahoma City had no answer for Antetokounmpo, who racked up 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Bucks to an NBA Cup championship, earning In-Season Tournament MVP honors.

How did the Lakers, Bucks fare after winning the NBA Cup?

Lakers

Here's a look at the Lakers' record, team points per game and opponent points per game through the NBA Cup semifinal.

Record	Points Per Game	Opponent Points Per Game	Point Differential
14-9	113.1	112.0	1.1

Now, here's a look at the Lakers' record and averages after the In-Season Tournament.

Record	Points Per Game	Opponent Points Per Game	Point Differential
33-26	119.9	118.3	1.6

The Lakers finished the 2023-24 season with a 47-35 record and fell into the NBA's Play-In Tournament, where they took on the Pelicans and emerged victorious by four points over New Orleans, setting up a date with the defending-champion Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, that's where the Lakers' season ended, as the club was overwhelmed by Denver for a second straight season. The Nuggets won the first three games of the season, lost to the Lakers in the fourth game of the series, then finished off Los Angeles in Game 5. The elimination had big ramifications for the Lakers' organization, as Los Angeles fired then-coach Darvin Ham and ultimately brought in former sharpshooter and NBA veteran JJ Redick, who is the team's coach today.

Bucks

Here's a look at the Bucks' record, team points per game and opponent points per game through the NBA Cup semifinal.

Record	Points Per Game	Opponent Points Per Game	Point Differential
14-11	113.3	111.9	1.4

Now, here's a look at the Bucks' record and averages after the NBA Cup.

Record	Points Per Game	Opponent Points Per Game	Point Differential
35-23	116.4	113.0	3.4

Milwaukee finished the 2024-25 season with a 49-34 record, which was good for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Just like the Lakers, the Bucks unfortunately ran into the eventual NBA champions, the fourth-seeded Pacers, who quickly took a two-games-to-none lead over Milwaukee. But the Bucks showed signs of life in Game 3, winning 117-101 behind 37 points from Antetokounmpo. But in a devastating turn of events, Bucks star guard Damian Lillard suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in Game 4, an eventual Bucks loss. The series ended in Game 5 in dramatic fashion when the Bucks blew a 20-point lead and eventually lost to Indiana when Tyrese Haliburton drained a game-winner in overtime. The playoff elimination resulted in a roster overhaul in which the Bucks imported the likes of Myles Turner and Gary Harris Jr. while jettisoning Lillard, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton.