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The New York Knicks haven’t won an NBA title since the early 1970s. It has also been more than a quarter-century since the franchise won the Eastern Conference and advanced to the NBA Finals.
On Tuesday night, the Knicks took the court in Las Vegas to compete for an NBA title — of sorts. The Knicks met the San Antonio Spurs in Las Vegas for the third iteration of the NBA Cup, the league’s rebranded in-season tournament.
While some players and coaches have praised the emerging concept, Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA analyst Charles Barkley remains unconvinced.
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College basketball analyst Charles Barkley on air before the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four championship game. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
“I think the cup thing is somewhat embarrassing,” Barkley said during a guest appearance on the “Tom Tolbert Show” during a discussion about the NBA Cup. Barkley also expressed angst over the series’ reliance on prize money as a means to compel players to prioritize regular-season games.
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“I’m disappointed that we have to make an in-season tournament to make these guys more money so they won’t do load management.” The NBA has implemented rules to try to discourage teams from sitting otherwise healthy players due to load management.
A player now must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for coveted individual awards such as the NBA MVP.
A general view of the arena before the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
“But to have to pay these guys extra money to make them play other games – they should play basketball because they’re well-compensated to play basketball,” Barkley continued. “To do an in-season tournament to make them extra money, come on, man. That’s a little bit ridiculous.”
By most accounts, the NBA Cup was implemented to increase the level of excitement during the league’s 82-game regular season. Commissioner Adam Silver used similar in-season tournaments in Europe as a model for the NBA’s version.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during press conference at the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
While TV ratings dropped from the tournament’s first year to its second in 2024, ticket demand shrank and Barkley and other commentators voiced criticism, the NBA league office still appears committed to the experiment.
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The Knicks defeated the Spurs 124-113 in Tuesday’s NBA Cup championship game.
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