OKC Thunder, NBA Unveil New Court For In-Season Tournament Beginning Friday

A new season with high expectations for the OKC Thunder also has the young squad eyeing a new trophy.

The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament begins this Friday, Nov. 3 and the new twist also includes a unique court for each team in the association.

On Monday, the OKC Thunder's new court was revealed.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in West Group C with the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs. 

According to the NBA, the courts feature vibrant and bold colors that share the following design details.

1. A fully painted court, edge-to-edge
2. A larger-than-life NBA Cup at center court, prominently displaying to players and fans the new trophy that will be awarded to the champion
3. A contrasting wash of color from lane-to-lane, creating a 16-foot wide “runway” across the court
4. NBA Cup silhouettes in the lanes
5. Team logos across the NBA Cup at center court and on the baselines

How Does The In-Season Tournament Work?

The tournament begins with Group Play, where all 30 teams play four other teams on "Tournament Nights" in predetermined groups. There are five groups of six. One game against each opponent with two at home and two on the road. These run from Nov. 3 to Nov. 28.

The winners of each group advance to the Knockout Rounds, with two "wild card" teams joining them. These single-elimination rounds are the designated quarterfinals (played in NBA team markets on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), while the Semifinals and Finals are played in Las Vegas.