
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual, open-invitation, single-elimination basketball tournament played in the United States. The tournament was founded in 2014 by real estate developer and TV producer Jonathan Mugar. TBT uses a modified version of NCAA men's basketball rules, with games played in 9-minute quarters instead of 20-minute halves, and players fouling out on their 6th personal foul instead of their 5th. The tournament has featured current and former NBA and WNBA players, and teams are often composed of professional players reunited under a former college or university name. TBT has since expanded beyond basketball, launching The Soccer Tournament (TST) in 2023.
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What You'll Learn
- TBT is a 64-team, single-elimination basketball tournament with a $1 million cash prize
- The tournament was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Mugar and has crowned 11 champions
- TBT uses a modified version of NCAA rules, including 9-minute quarters and 6 foul outs
- The tournament has featured current and former NBA and WNBA players, with NBA involvement increasing over the years
- TBT Enterprises expanded the concept to soccer in 2023, creating The Soccer Tournament (TST), a 7-on-7 summer tournament with a similar format and $1 million prize

TBT is a 64-team, single-elimination basketball tournament with a $1 million cash prize
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual, open-invitation, single-elimination basketball tournament played during the summer in the United States. The tournament was founded in 2014 by real estate developer and TV producer Jonathan Mugar, and as of 2024, it is broadcast on Fox and its sister network, Fox Sports 1 (FS1).
TBT has seen a varying number of teams participate since its inception, with as many as 97 teams in 2015 and as few as 24 teams in 2020. However, in recent years, the tournament has settled into a 64-team field. The teams are arranged by the general manager, sometimes based on the college basketball program the players competed for. The 64 teams are divided into eight regions, with each regional winner advancing to the championship venue.
The tournament has attracted current and former NBA and WNBA players, such as Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, Nikki Teasley, and Greg Oden. Many teams feature professional players reuniting under a former college or university name, with teams representing various states and universities across the US.
TBT offers a $1 million cash prize to the winning team, making it a high-stakes tournament that has crowned eleven champions and awarded more than $17 million in prizes since its establishment.
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The tournament was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Mugar and has crowned 11 champions
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) was founded in 2014 by Jonathan (Jon) Mugar, a real estate developer and TV producer. It is an open-invitation, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States, with a cash prize for the winner (the 2024 tournament had a $1 million purse). The number of teams has varied, with a record of 97 teams in 2015 and a low of 24 teams in 2020, but in recent years it has settled on a 64-team field.
The tournament has crowned 11 champions, awarded more than $17 million in prizes, and introduced innovations such as the Elam Ending, which eliminates overtime. TBT uses a modified version of NCAA men's basketball rules, including 9-minute quarters and players fouling out on their 6th personal foul.
TBT has featured current and former NBA and WNBA players, with teams often made up of alumni from the same college or university. Five alumni teams have won TBT: Buffalo, Marquette, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Syracuse. The tournament has also received support from active NBA players, and some have served as boosters or hosts.
In 2022, TBT Enterprises announced the expansion of the TBT concept to soccer with The Soccer Tournament (TST), a 7-on-7 summer tournament with a similar format and a $1 million winner-take-all prize.
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TBT uses a modified version of NCAA rules, including 9-minute quarters and 6 foul outs
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual open-invitation, single-elimination basketball tournament played during the summer in the United States. The tournament features a mix of professional and amateur players, with many teams featuring professional players reunited under their former college or university names. The winning team receives a cash prize, with the most recent tournament in 2024 awarding $1 million to the winning team.
TBT uses a modified version of the NCAA men's basketball rules. One of the most significant exceptions is the use of 9-minute quarters instead of 20-minute halves (or 10-minute quarters in the NCAA women's game). This modification is designed to create "quasi-quarters" or "ersatz quarters", which reset team fouls at the 10-minute mark of each half. This rule change also eliminates the one-and-one free throw, as teams will begin the double bonus on the fifth foul within each 10-minute segment.
Another key modification in TBT is that players foul out upon their 6th personal foul, instead of the 5th foul in the NCAA rules. This change allows players more leeway in committing fouls before being disqualified. Additionally, bonus free-throw rules follow NCAA women's and FIBA rules, with two free throws on the 5th and subsequent non-shooting fouls by the defence in a quarter. However, an exception to this rule was added for the 2020 tournament; any foul during the Elam Ending that would result in bonus free throws will instead give the non-fouling team one free throw and possession of the ball. This exception aims to reduce the number of games ending on free throws.
The Elam Ending, introduced in TBT in 2017, is another significant deviation from traditional basketball rules. Under the Elam Ending, the game is played in its traditional format until a certain point, typically the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, at which point the clock is turned off and the teams play to a target score. The target score is determined by adding a predetermined number of points to the leading team's score. This format eliminates the possibility of overtime and incentivizes teams to employ different strategies to reach the target score.
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The tournament has featured current and former NBA and WNBA players, with NBA involvement increasing over the years
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual, open-invitation, single-elimination basketball tournament played each summer in the United States. The tournament was founded in 2014 and has since featured current and former NBA and WNBA players, with NBA involvement increasing over the years.
The TBT uses a modified version of NCAA men's basketball rules. For example, games are played in 9-minute quarters instead of 20-minute halves, and players foul out after their 6th personal foul rather than their 5th. The tournament has also adopted the Elam Ending for all games, meaning there is no overtime played.
Several current and former NBA players have participated in the TBT over the years. Notable names include Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, Mike Bibby, and Matt Bonner. Former WNBA player Nikki Teasley also took part in the 2014 tournament. In addition, many NBA players have shown their support for teams as fans, including Kyle Lowry and Obi Toppin.
The TBT has also seen the involvement of NBA players in other capacities. In 2016, John Wall, Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gay, and Austin Rivers served as boosters for different teams. The following year, Carmelo Anthony acted as host for the tournament in Baltimore, where he played high school basketball. In 2019, Chris Paul and DeMarcus Cousins both entered teams into the tournament, further increasing the NBA's presence in the TBT.
As the TBT continues to grow in popularity, it is likely that the involvement of current and former NBA and WNBA players will also continue to increase.
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TBT Enterprises expanded the concept to soccer in 2023, creating The Soccer Tournament (TST), a 7-on-7 summer tournament with a similar format and $1 million prize
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual open-invitation, single-elimination tournament played in the summer in the United States. It was founded in 2014 by real estate developer and TV producer Jonathan Mugar, and the tournament has since aired on Fox and its sister network, Fox Sports 1. The number of teams has varied over the years, but in recent times, a 64-team field has been used. The tournament features current and former NBA and WNBA players, with alumni teams from colleges and universities also participating.
TBT Enterprises, the organisers of TBT, expanded the concept to soccer in 2023, creating The Soccer Tournament (TST). TST is a 7-on-7 summer tournament with a similar format and a $1 million prize. The tournament follows the traditional World Cup format, with a group stage and knockout rounds. TST started with 32 teams, which were whittled down to 16 in the knockout stages. The games are played on a reduced-size field with slightly smaller goals, and the matches consist of 20-minute halves.
The Elam Ending, a popular feature of TBT, was also adapted for TST. After the end of the second half, the "Target Score Time" comes into play, with the target score being one goal higher than the leading team's score. This ensures that all games end with a goal, creating exciting finishes. The inaugural TST tournament in 2023 featured teams created by former men's national team players Jimmy Conrad and DaMarcus Beasley, as well as a team founded by American soccer legend Clint Dempsey.
TST represents TBT Enterprises' first non-basketball event, and it has generated significant hype, with former national team players and overseas clubs participating. The tournament features a mix of teams, including professional clubs, celebrity-backed squads, charities, and college alumni sides. The $1 million prize, following the model of TBT, is designed to attract big-name participants and create a high-stakes, intense competition.
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Frequently asked questions
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual, open-invitation, single-elimination basketball tournament played each summer in the United States.
The TBT Tournament was founded in 2014 by real estate developer and TV producer Jonathan Mugar.
The number of teams has varied each year, with a record of 97 teams in 2015 and a low of 24 teams in 2020. In recent years, the tournament has settled on a 64-team field.
The TBT Tournament uses a modified version of NCAA men's basketball rules. Games are played in 9-minute quarters, and players foul out on their 6th personal foul. The tournament also adopts the Elam Ending, which eliminates overtime.


















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