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Adam Silver hints at NBA Cup Final being played at ‘storied college arenas’

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Griffin McVeigh | Last updated Dec 17, 2025 1:48 AM ET

The NBA Cup is still in its infancy stage, with the third-ever championship game taking place on Tuesday night. Las Vegas plays host to the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, after the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks took home titles. Ideas continue to bounce around on what the NBA Cup could look like in the future, specifically from commissioner Adam Silver.

College basketball might soon see itself intertwined with the NBA Cup. Silver hinted at the Final taking place at “storied college arenas” in the future. He is working alongside the event television provider, Amazon Prime, to figure something out.

“We’ve loved our experience in Vegas,” Silver said. “We’re talking with Amazon Prime about whether it makes sense to maybe go to some unique locations for the final game. They’ve suggested, for example, some storied college arenas. So we’re just looking at other ways to do this.”

Adam Silver says "some storied college locations" are under consideration for future NBA cup championship games pic.twitter.com/qlz9aNpKXL
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) December 17, 2025

Fans will argue as to which arenas are actually considered storied at the college level. However, it’s easy to think of Cameron Indoor at Duke and Allen Field House for Kansas. The state of Indiana has a couple as well. When COVID-19 was still an issue, the NCAA Tournament was hosted in the Hoosier State before converging in Indianapolis for the Final Four and national championship.

More on the future of the NBA Cup

As of right now, there is no deal in place between the NBA and Las Vegas to bring the NBA Cup back to Sin City. Semifinal games will be played on the home courts of two teams but a neutral site is still expected for the Final. This is where the idea of college campuses comes into play.

Part of the attraction might be players returning to their old stomping grounds, bringing in even more fan interest. However, it’s almost impossible to know if they can guarantee a player from that specific school playing in the NBA Cup Final. Everything depends on results throughout the event.

The NBA playing inside college arenas would not be anything new. Multiple examples are out there of games taking place on campuses. Austin, TX, and the Moody Center, being one of them, hosting the Spurs and Phoenix Suns. At the time, Texas legend Kevin Durant was still playing for the Suns. Plenty of Spurs fans are in the state capital as well, bringing a great crowd to the newly built arena.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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