Drexel to Host TBT’s Tenth Semifinals and $1M Championship Game this August

PHILADELPHIA, May 15, 2023 – The Basketball Tournament (TBT), the 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all event, today announced in partnership with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) that Philadelphia will be the host city for TBT’s 2023 Championship. TBT’s semifinals game on Aug. 2 and $1M championship game on Aug. 3 will be held at Drexel University’s John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center.

“It’s fitting to return to the city where it all began for our tenth championship game,” said TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar. “Doing so in partnership with the NBPA makes it even sweeter. Last year, the NBPA was essential in helping us pull off a flawless event at Rucker Park. We look forward to putting on our best-ever championship event in Philadelphia alongside the NBPA, Puma, and Zelle.”

“We partnered with TBT for the first time last year, and it was an amazing opportunity for us at the NBPA to connect on the grassroots level and engage with the local community in Harlem,” said Chris Jean, Senior Director of Business Development & Key Initiatives for THINK450.  “We are excited to partner with TBT again and celebrate the 10-year milestone of this competition. Philadelphia has a great legacy as a basketball city, and we are eager to get on the ground and provide a positive experience for everyone involved.”

“Drexel is excited to host an event of this magnitude on our campus,” Drexel Director of Athletics Maisha Kelly said. “One of our goals is to make the newly-renovated DAC a hub of entertainment and basketball in Philadelphia. This is a great step for us as we expand our brand and put Drexel Athletics on a national stage.”

Now in its 10th year of competition, TBT will return to the city that hosted its first event back in 2014, then a 32-team tournament for $500,000. As TBT expanded into a nationwide event with a seven-figure prize, Philadelphia served as one of the regional locations up until 2017. The level of competition in TBT has also grown significantly since the last time it held games in the City of Brotherly Love.

Last year’s TBT field featured more than 70 players with NBA experience, a tournament record. NBA players and Philadelphia natives, Markieff and Marcus Morris, will be a part of the coaching staff this summer for Mass Street, TBT’s Kansas alumni team.

TBT and the NBPA will be partnering on an event for the second year in a row. Last year, the two connected to bring a TBT regional to the legendary Greg Marius Court at Rucker Park, the first outdoor regional in TBT’s history. Regional games were held over the course of four days in July 2022, and the event also included youth basketball clinics run by the NBPA and their partners.

 Additionally, as part of the TBT Championship festivities in Philadelphia in August, the NBPA and NBA 2K will also host a gaming lounge experience that will be accessible for individuals who purchase tickets to the TBT Championship.

 The John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center, the host site for TBT’s Championship Week, was renovated in April of 2022 with a new state of the art video board along with eight other screens and displays throughout the venue. The “DAC” also boasts a professional production room and an upgraded audio system that can play music on the adjacent Lancaster Walk, a space just outside of the DAC’s front doors. Sam Cozen Court, the host of Drexel's Division I basketball and wrestling programs, can seat up to 2,500 spectators.

Since TBT began in 2014, it has awarded more than $12M in prize money and has been viewed in more than 180 countries around the world. Alumni teams have won TBT’s championship the past four summers, with teams representing Ohio State, Marquette, Syracuse, and the University of Buffalo taking home the $1M prize between 2019-2022. TBT is also the home of the Elam Ending, the alternate ending to games where teams play to a target score. The Elam Ending was adopted by the NBA for its All-Star Game beginning in 2022 and is now being used in G League games as part of their overtime format.

Those interested in securing tickets for TBT’s Championship can sign up for TBT’s ticket waitlist at thetournament.com/tbt/champ2023tickets.

For more information on this year’s TBT or Championship Week in Philadelphia, visit TheTournament.com.

About The Basketball Tournament
The home of the Elam Ending®, The Basketball Tournament has grown from a unique idea among friends to one of the most exciting and engaging events on the summer sports calendar, with national exposure on ESPN, social media buzz and regional championships across the country - culminating in a winner-take-all $1 million game. Every year it attracts some of the best players in the world. For more information on TBT’s tenth season, visit www.thetournament.com

About the NBPA

The National Basketball Players Association is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA’s mission is to protect and support the rights and talents of our players, magnify the power of their collective will, and amplify their voices as leaders who will transcend sport and society globally.

The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including through the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, and counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities. Business opportunities are generated by THINK450, the subsidiary of the NBPA charged with managing the players’ group licensing rights.

Dedicated to preserving the legacy of its members, the NBPA Foundation provides support and assistance to persons, communities and organizations around the world that seek to improve the lives of those in need.

About THINK450

THINK450 is the innovation and partnership engine of the NBPA, dedicated to uncovering shared interests between the 450 players and leading brands to build more engaging partnerships. Together with its partners, THINK450 creates innovative ideas that engage fans, stir them to action, and earn brands the right to participate in cultural conversations. For more information, visit THINK450.com.

About 2K

Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment for video game consoles, personal computers, and mobile devices, with product availability including physical retail and digital download. The Company is home to many talented development studios, including Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union, Cloud Chamber and HB Studios. 2K’s portfolio currently includes several AAA, sports and entertainment brands, including global powerhouse NBA®️ 2K; renowned BioShock®️, Borderlands®️, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization®️ and XCOM®️ brands; popular WWE®️ 2K and WWE®️ SuperCard franchises; as well as the critically and commercially acclaimed PGA TOUR®️ 2K. Additional information about 2K and its products may be found at 2K.com and on the Company’s official social media channels.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jake Pavorsky, TBT Enterprises – PR@thetournament.com

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