The NBA wants to definitively launch its mid-season Cup (the In-Season Tournament won by the Lakers last year), presenting a completely new design of the playing field for each of the arenas, which makes a game of the tournament immediately recognizable . She did so last year too but was inundated with criticism from fans, players and broadcasters. This time, however, it seems like everything is done right. Christopher Arena, the NBA’s manager of court and brand partnerships, said they learned from last season’s court designs that having special edition courts really helped differentiate the NBA Cup event.
The trophy still stands out in each of the two small areas and in the central circle. As we can see, the NBA has abandoned the concept of colored lanes, and too “flashy” shades. Fully painted courts feature a league-wide theme of three concentric circles radiating from center court in tonal shades of a team’s primary color, but it is the artistic “wallpaper” that covers the entire court with a 30% opacity – a nod to the 30 NBA teams – which allowed each team to interpret the design. Whether it’s a logo, a wordmark, a cityscape, or a unique element that ties into the city, like a bed of roses in Portland or a forest for Minnesota or like the stars for every title with the Lakers .
According to a report by Forbesthe NBA wanted to highlight the Statement Edition jerseys on these playing fields, and there will therefore be a real contrast between the colors of the jersey and those of the court. Artist Victor Solomon made it happen, creating a design system customized by all 30 NBA teams for the brand-new courts that fans will see during the bracket and quarterfinal rounds of the in-season tournament that begins November 12. It remains to be seen whether they will be less slippery than last season…
