NBA Executive Vice-President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones says this dynamic is exactly what the league envisioned when the Emirates NBA Cup competition was introduced. “That speaks a little bit to our Cup competition, which over the last few years has been a really exciting addition to the NBA ecosystem,” he said. “We’re in our third year with the Cup, and it’s a staple of our calendar. Players, coaches, execs, league office, we all understand that this is something unique and something that we’re building, that our fans generally have loved and will continue to support.”