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The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup is here and that means the return of one of last season’s most divisive additions: the courts.
They are stylized. They are noisy. They all feature concentric circles this year for some reason. (The NBA says the circles “represent the three stages of competition” of Pools, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championship.)
Last year’s courts received some harsh reactions, but the league is bringing them back for another round. While this year’s group is a little less unruly, there are still some standouts, both good and bad. We will all explain it with a quick verdict that we cannot promise will be serious.
(All images courtesy of the NBA.)
Atlanta Falcons
Yahoo Sports Verdict: You see, ATL means Atlanta.
boston celts
Yahoo Sports Verdict: This is a good example of playing to your strengths, although green and black may still clash for some people.
Brooklyn Networks
Yahoo Sports Verdict: The subway fountain at the end of the court works better than anything in bounds.
charlotte hornets
Yahoo Sports Verdict: The beehive patterns really work here.
chicago bulls
Yahoo Sports Verdict: A larger version of your logo in the background won’t offend anyone, Part 1.
Cleveland Knights
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Maybe we should just change the origins of the Cavaliers and Nets.
Dallas Mavericks
Yahoo Sports Verdict: The silhouette of a city skyline never fails.
Denver Nuggets
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Here we see the benefits of having the Cup trophy match your color scheme.
Detroit Pistons
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Need more logos.
warriors of the golden state
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Introducing an alternate logo isn’t actually the worst use of the NBA Cup.
Houston Rockets
Yahoo Sports Verdict: This is what happens when you watch Star Wars on deadline night.
Indiana Pacers
Yahoo Sports Verdict: There really is no greater honor for a broadcaster than having words painted on a 25-foot fountain.
Los Angeles Clippers
Yahoo Sports Verdict: The return of the Clippers script is a welcome development.
Los Angeles Lakers
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Los Angeles, the city where palm trees are as tall as skyscrapers. Also, is it too late for the Celtics to put their championship stars last?
Memphis Grizzlies
Yahoo Sports Verdict: The Grizzlies have been using that stylized “MEM” for a while and it works decently as a logo and geometric pattern.
Miami Heat
Yahoo Sports Verdict: We would have loved to be in the meeting they arrived at by simply zooming in on the top right of their logo.
milwaukee dollars
Yahoo Sports Verdict: There is another court with a giant doe waiting to see how this duel plays out.
minnesota wolves
Yahoo Sports Verdict: It probably would have been better to focus more on the trees, without the “TIMBER WOLVES” in the middle.
New Orleans Pelicans
Yahoo Sports Verdict: A larger version of your logo in the background won’t offend anyone, Part 2.
New York Knicks
Yahoo Sports Verdict: We said a city skyline never fails, but it’s a little strange that the Knicks basically did nothing else.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Yahoo Sports Verdict: A larger version of your logo in the background won’t offend anyone, Part 3.
orlando magic
Yahoo Sports Verdict: We would give this design three stars, but someone already gave it eight.
Philadelphia Sixers
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Kudos to the Sixers for being the only team to actually incorporate the eye pattern that all of these courts have.
phoenix suns
Yahoo Sports Verdict: PHX means Phoenix, you see.
Portland Trailblazers
Yahoo Sports Verdict: This might be the biggest winner of all. The roses look good and everything feels cohesive.
Kings of Sacramento
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Anyone who struggled with geometric proofs in school is sweating over this one.
San Antonio Spurs
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Yes, we are in Texas.
Toronto Raptors
Yahoo Sports Verdict: A nice use of the subtly irregular pinstripes on the t-shirts.
utah jazz
Yahoo Sports Verdict: Were you expecting more than Utah mountains?
Wizards of Washington
Yahoo Sports Verdict: As always, we’re not even sure we can say the Wizards tried.
