NBA Cup needs an atmosphere boost, and Las Vegas might not have the answer

LAS VEGAS — Prior to checking out for good, $514,971 richer and another MVP award bound for his trophy case, Giannis Antetokounmpo closed off a drive from Kenrich Williams. He met the Oklahoma City Thunder forward at the rim, blocking the sneak attempt at a layup.

The ensuing transition featured Giannis two-handing a pass ahead to Gary Trent Jr., who drilled a 3 from the right wing. It was Antetokounmpo’s 10th assist. One of the best to ever do it punctuated his first NBA Cup crown with a dominant triple-double in a 97-81 win over Oklahoma City, the best team in the West.

And the response to his final sequence from the crowd at T-Mobile Arena just might have — might have — matched the volume showered onto the trampoline dunkers.

Nothing Tuesday night had the crowd lit quite like the trampoline dunkers. Oh, and the wave.

Maybe this should be the last NBA Cup in Las Vegas.

It might not be, of course. The expectation, based on the behind-the-scenes discourse at the final, is the NBA Cup will likely be back. But Wednesday’s finale to the second annual in-season tournament proved something more is needed. It’s not terrible. It’s just not enough.

The NBA Cup is established now. It’s growing roots into the culture of the league. It has successfully added some juice to otherwise low-stakes regular-season games. But if it’s going to be a thing, it needs to be a thing. And the atmosphere at T-Mobile rivaled a Mountain West Conference semifinal.

“It’s closer to, like, elevated regular season than it is to the playoffs, in my opinion,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “The time of year has to do with that, the nature of a series versus a one-and-done situation has to do with that. But playing elevated opponents, good opponents with some elevated stakes, elevated distractions is a good experience in December for our team.”

Something is missing. It’s not the players. They’ve leaned into the concept (and the fast buck). It’s not the quality of the games. It’s not the matchups. It’s not the league’s marketing resolve.

Maybe it just needs more time to establish the tradition, for the NBA’s penchant for drama to make its way to the NBA Cup. Maybe it needs some non-NBA teams to add a little spice to the bracket.

Or maybe Vegas just isn’t it.

The NBA hasn’t held an All-Star Game here since 2007 for a reason. And if the league’s biggest showcase couldn’t work here, what chance does a diet championship game have of thriving?

This isn’t the city’s fault. Las Vegas is excellent. It’s been a great partner of the NBA for years with Summer League. This sports market has proved to be lively for the NHL’s Golden Knights. And for the WNBA’s Aces. And for whichever NFL team the Raiders are playing.

But for the NBA Cup and its aspirations? Vegas isn’t really turning up. It isn’t adding much pomp to this circumstance.

The spectacle of Vegas figures to be ideal for the spectacular the NBA seeks to summon. But the glitz of Vegas seems to work against the league on this. Too much is here to compete with the randomness of the Cup. Too much distraction in this paradise of indulgence to invest in the NBA’s choreographed theatrics.

The city lights up for the NBA in July. The basketball love is palpable for Summer League. The signage is everywhere. The people are talking about it. The fans are excited. You can feel Las Vegas’ embrace.

The NBA Cup this year had little of that. Not much feel in the city. No constant Sphere love reminding why everyone is here. Even Uber drivers assumed Bruno Mars was responsible for the traffic near T-Mobile Arena. But his performances at nearby Dolby Live, leading up to New Year’s Eve, don’t start until Wednesday night.

In fairness to Vegas, it’s just hard to get hype about teams so random to this community as Milwaukee and Oklahoma City.

The whole idea of the NBA Cup was to generate fervor. Manufacture magnitude. The NBA is desperately trying to curb falling ratings and adjust to the seismic shift in viewership. So, “not-terrible” isn’t satiating.

For the second year in a row, the NBA Cup delivered an intriguing matchup. Again, it pitted an entrenched star against a rising one. Last year: LeBron James vs. Tyrese Haliburton. This year, Giannis vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, by all accounts a riveting showdown. Two MVP candidates. Two teams playing their best basketball. Two contrasting styles in a fight city that understands the intrigue of dueling strategies.

One of the league’s biggest stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and one of its best teams in the Thunder weren’t enough to inject energy into T-Mobile Arena. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

But these international stars clearly don’t pack the casual-fan appeal of LeBron, and it was evident in vibes. Which suggests this only has legs if LeBron or Steph Curry or Boston makes it to Vegas. But the bigger the stars, the more intense the games, the more potential for a disappointing environment.

“We’re about to enter a new television deal,” said commissioner Adam Silver, who held court with a group of reporters before Tuesday’s game. “We’re going to have two new partners who are going to be programming in a very different way. We’re going to be going from 50 to 75 regular-season broadcast exposures. … All the games are going to be available on streaming. So it’s going to be a very different approach next year.”

Giannis deserved better than empty seats poorly camouflaged with darkness by the tricks of stage lighting. SGA deserved more than ambient halftime noise on a loop. This second-round-of-the-draft energy wasn’t worthy of a trophy presentation from Silver.

The commissioner said franchises want the semifinal games in their arenas. Making the Cup final a home game for the top seed is extra revenue for the deserving franchise.

Oklahoma City, owners of the best record, certainly would’ve benefited from the juice of its maniacal crowd. The Thunder managed just 31 points in the second half. Didn’t muster so much as a rally.

But hastily putting on a game, and getting a fan base on board so suddenly, is a tall task. The semifinal of the NBA Cup was on Saturday. The current setup would’ve given the NBA two days to make accommodations for the final. A neutral site allows the league to prepare in advance, no matter the teams.

Amazon, which will have the rights to the knockout rounds, figures to have a say in the matter. The neutral site could be better for its plans for advanced presentation, the “different approach” to which Silver alluded.

But Amazon might also prefer a better atmosphere to convey to its audience of streamers.

Here is an idea, borrowed from our Bucks writer, Eric Nehm: Put the NBA Cup final in the Sphere.

If the venue’s gotta pull its weight for this to work, the Sphere could add some novelty and intrigue. Like outdoor hockey games at Wrigley Field and college hoop games on an aircraft carrier. The awe-inspiring futuristic globe — owned by a company owned by the New York Knicks owner — was off on Tuesday night. No doubt preparing for the U2 concert starting on Wednesday. An immersive film of a U2 concert.

Imagine Giannis blocking Atlanta’s Clint Capela on 1.2 million LED pucks.

Logistically, a hoop court might be tough to pull off in the Sphere. But something needs to happen. The NBA Cup needs performance-enhancing digs for Year 3.

Or more trampoline dunkers.

GO DEEPER

Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Bucks to NBA Cup title

(Top photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)