NBA unveils specialty court designs for in-season tournament games
In an effort to differentiate in-season tournament games from a normal regular season game the NBA has unveiled specialty courts for all 30 teams that will debut this year.
The Timberwolves' specialty court will feature the trophy for the tournament prominently at half court, underneath the Wolves logo, as well as at both foul lines. The bulk of the court will be painted lake blue while a center stripe from one end of the court to the other will be darker blue.
Christopher Arena, the NBA's head of on-court and brand partnerships, told ESPN that "The biggest decision was to paint the entire court with no wood showing." That's the case for every team in the league.
Minnesota will play its first tournament game at the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 10. The Spurs' court will feature a yellow stripe running down the middle with the rest of the court colored green.
Minnesota will then travel to take on the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 14th for their second tournament game. The Warriors' court, like the Spurs design, will feature a gold stripe running the length of the court with the main color of the court in brown.
Minnesota will finish off the group stage hosting the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 24 and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 28.
The in-season tournament will feature four games of group play, with each game counting towards the regular season record. The five teams with the best standings in group play and two "wild cards" will advance to the knockout rounds of the tourney.
