Frequently Asked Questions: NBA G League Winter Showcase
What is the NBA G League Winter Showcase?
The NBA G League Winter Showcase is the NBA G League’s annual in-season scouting event, when all teams converge in one city to play in front of NBA general managers and player personnel executives from all 30 NBA teams. The 2024 event – Dec. 19-22 in Orlando, Florida – will mark the 20th Showcase, featuring 31 games over four days spread across two courts. This is the second season that the G League will host the event in Orlando after the G League announced a sponsorship deal with Hyatt. Previous Winter Showcases had been held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Why is it important?
The NBA G League Winter Showcase gives the over 200 players on NBA G League rosters a chance to shine in hopes of achieving their dream: landing an NBA contract. It takes place right before the point in the season when NBA teams can sign free agents to 10-Day Contracts.
The majority of players in the NBA G League are free agents who can be signed by any NBA team (click here to learn more about how rosters are built), so a flurry of deals typically occur during and after Showcase each year. More than 100 players have earned GATORADE Call-Ups during or immediately after the last 19 Showcases - including 30+ during the 2021 Winter Showcase between Dec. 18 and Dec. 22.
Building off the success of the 2023 NBA G League Winter Showcase, the 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase will once again feature the expanded Winter Showcase Tournament, a single-elimination tournament where the eight top teams from the Tip-Off Tournament compete for the Winter Showcase title.
Where does it take place?
The 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Orlando, Florida. This is the second season that the G League will host the event in Orlando after it announced a sponsorship deal with Hyatt.
Past hosts include Las Vegas, Nev., Mississauga, Ont., Santa Cruz, Calif., Reno, Nev., Columbus, Ga., Fayetteville, N.C., Sioux Falls, S.D., Boise, Idaho and South Padre Island, Texas.
Which teams can win the Winter Showcase Tournament?
Beginning Friday, Nov. 8, the league’s 31 teams will be separated into four regional pods and will play 14 games against one another in NBA G League markets. The teams with the best winning percentage in each regional pod, along with the next four teams across the league with the best winning percentages, will play for the Winter Showcase Championship during the NBA G League Winter Showcase . The remaining teams will each play two games outside of the Showcase Cup Tournament during the event.
Following the NBA G League Winter Showcase, team records will reset and the 34-game regular season will tip off on Friday, Dec. 27, bringing each team’s total games played to 50.
Where are the games broadcasted?
2023 Winter Showcase games were broadcast on Tubi, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ and NBATV. Games will begin at 11 a.m. ET each day with four games on each court. Once the full bracket is set following the conclusion of games on Tuesday, December 17th, a full schedule will be made available for the 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase.
Which players have appeared in past Showcases?
A host of up-and-coming NBA players have put their skills on display at Showcase over the past 19 years, especially since NBA teams often assign young talent to the NBA G League at this time.
Past participants include Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, Rockets center Clint Capela, Clippers guard Kris Dunn, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, Hornets guard Seth Curry, Pacers forward Jarace Walker, Wizards wing Cam Whitmore, Magic forward Jett Howard and other former NBA players such as Jeremy Lin, Lance Stephenson, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Trey Burke, Robert Covington, Michael Carter-Williams, Norris Cole, Jahlil Okafor, Shabazz Napier, Patrick Beverley, Mario Chalmers, Jordan Bell, Patrick McCaw, Kenneth Faried, Gerald Green, Hassan Whiteside, and J.J. Barea.
Who won last year's Winter Showcase?
In the 2024 Winter Showcase Tournament, eight teams were ranked based on their finish during the 14-game Showcase Cup pod play. The Oklahoma City Blue (1), Iowa Wolves (2), Sioux Falls Skyforce (3), Westchester Knicks (4), Valley Suns (5), Capital City Go-Go (6), Stockton Kings (7) and Grand Rapids Gold (8) participated in the single-elimination, winner-take-all tournament.
The 4th-seeded Westchester Knicks won the 2024 Winter Showcase Tournament, beating the No. 3 Sioux Falls Skyforce 125-119 on ESPN2. Tyler Kolek was named Showcase Cup MVP. With the victory, the Knicks were awarded a $100,000 prize for NBA G League players on their team and became the first team in NBA G League history to win back-to-back G League Winter Showcase championships.