NBL Cup
In-season competition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Basketball League Cup, often shortened to the NBL Cup, was a midseason tournament for the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) played during the 2020–21 season.[1] The tournament was discontinued after one season.[2]
| Most recent season or competition: 2021 NBL Cup | |
| |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 21 December 2020 |
| Organising body | National Basketball League |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Countries | Australia (9 teams) New Zealand (1 team) |
| Continent | FIBA Oceania (Oceania) |
| Most recent champions | Perth Wildcats (1st title) |
| Most titles | Perth Wildcats (1 title) |
| Sponsor | Hungry Jack's |
| Official website | NBLCup.com.au |
History
On 21 December 2020, the Australian National Basketball League established the first NBL Cup to be held in Melbourne, Victoria, with all nine NBL teams taking part in the tournament from 20 February to 14 March. The majority of the 36 games were scheduled to be played at John Cain Arena (formerly Melbourne Arena), with a small amount scheduled for the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South, Melbourne.[3] All nine NBL teams moved to Melbourne for the 2021 NBL Cup.
The 36 games counted towards the 2020–21 NBL season and, in a first for the league, would also decide the winner of the inaugural NBL Cup with total prize money of $300,000. Every team played each other once; the team with the most points at the end of the 36 games was awarded the NBL Cup and $150,000 in prize money. The runner-up received $100,000 and third place received $50,000.[4] The ladders included three points for a win, one point for each quarter won, and half a point for tied quarters.[5][6]
On 14 March 2021, the Perth Wildcats won the inaugural NBL Cup with a 7–1 record in eight games played.[7] Bryce Cotton led all scorers with 26.9 points and teammate John Mooney led all rebounds with 12.3 per game. Adelaide 36ers rookie Josh Giddey led all assists with 7.4 per game.
At the completion of the NBL Melbourne Hub, teams returned to regular home-and-away schedules. The NBL Cup was not continued in the 2021–22 season.[2]
In May 2023, the league raised the potential for a return of a cup tournament in the future.[8] A mid-season tournament was raised again by the league in May 2025 following the success of the NBA Cup, which would later become the NBL Ignite Cup.[9][10]
Finals
| Year | Winner | Record | Runners-up | Third place | Venue(s) | Location | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBL Cup | |||||||
| 2021 | Perth Wildcats | 7–1 | S.E. Melbourne Phoenix | Brisbane Bullets | John Cain Arena | Melbourne, Victoria |  Bryce Cotton (26.9) |
| State Basketball Centre | |||||||
Titles by team
| Team | Wins | Winning seasons | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth Wildcats | 1 | 2021 | — | — |
| S.E. Melbourne Phoenix | 0 | — | 2021 | — |
| Brisbane Bullets | 0 | — | — | 2021 |
