Andrew Pace
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual event that has seen a number of current and former NBA players participate, including Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, and Dahntay Jones. The tournament has featured as many as 97 teams, in 2015, and as few as 24 teams, in 2020. The championship prize money was originally $500,000 in 2014 and has since increased to $1 million as of 2020. The first-ever TBT championship in 2014 was won by Notre Dame Fighting Alumni, who defeated Team Barstool 72-68. Since then, Overseas Elite has won the most championships, with four consecutive wins from 2015 to 2018. The most recent winner of TBT, as of 2022, is Boeheim's Army, who earned a $1 million prize.
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TBT 2025
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an annual event founded in 2014 that has crowned eleven champions and awarded more than $17 million in prizes. The 2025 TBT will take place across several locations in the US from July 18 to August 3, with the $1 million championship game taking place on August 3.
The tournament has featured several current and former NBA and WNBA players, including Kyle Lowry, Obi Toppin, Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Nikki Teasley, and Greg Oden. Five alumni teams have won TBT titles: Buffalo, Marquette, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Syracuse.
The 2025 TBT will be hosted by eight regional locations, with each regional winner advancing to the championship venue. The regional locations include Charlottesville, hosted by the University of Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena; Lexington, hosted by the University of Kentucky; Louisville; Syracuse; Wichita; and West Virginia (Charleston). The final two regional locations have not yet been announced.
The Virginia Regional will be played at John Paul Jones Arena from July 18 to 23, with Embrace The Pace, the Virginia alumni team, serving as the featured team. The winner of the Virginia Regional will advance to the TBT Quarterfinals on July 29, followed by the semifinals on July 31. For the first time, TBT will give each host team the opportunity to have home-court advantage throughout the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the $1 million championship game.
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Past winners
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) has seen several winners since its inaugural edition in 2014. Here is a list of past winners of TBT:
2014
The Notre Dame Fighting Alumni won the first-ever TBT championship, defeating Team Barstool 72-68. The team, represented by several former Fighting Irish players, including MVP Tyrone Nash, donated the $400,000 prize money to Coaches vs. Cancer.
2015
In the second edition of TBT, Overseas Elite defeated Team 23, 67-65, to claim the championship title. The prize money had increased to $1 million this year. D. J. Kennedy, a former St. John's college basketball player, was named MVP.
2016
Overseas Elite successfully defended their title, defeating Team Colorado 77-72 in the final. Arizona alumnus Kyle Fogg was named MVP as his team claimed the increased $2 million prize money.
2017
Overseas Elite continued their dominance, winning their third consecutive TBT championship by beating Team Challenge ALS 86-83. Fogg was named MVP for the second time.
2018
Overseas Elite completed a four-peat, defeating Eberlein Drive 70-58 in the final. D. J. Kennedy was named MVP for the second time, joining Fogg as multiple-time MVP winners.
2019 and beyond
While specific game details are not readily available, it is known that Boeheim's Army won the $1 million prize money in 2021, and Team Heartfire won The Basketball Tournament in an unspecified year.
TBT has featured several current and former NBA and WNBA players, including Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, Mike Bibby, Nikki Teasley, and Greg Oden. The tournament has also seen the participation of NBA players as boosters and hosts, with Carmelo Anthony hosting the 2017 edition in Baltimore.
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Fan involvement
One unique aspect of TBT that involves fans is the opportunity for them to win prizes. Fans can submit bracket entries, predicting the outcomes of the tournament, and the top 1,000 entries with the most points through their picks receive prizes. This fan engagement adds an interactive layer to the tournament, encouraging spectators to invest emotionally in the games and strategize their picks. The prizes for fans further emphasize the tournament's commitment to creating an inclusive and rewarding experience for its supporters.
Additionally, fan support for the teams is a notable feature of TBT. Teams are often supported by active NBA players, who act as boosters and advocates for their chosen teams. This involvement attracts fans of these NBA players, creating a dedicated supporter base for the teams they endorse. For instance, in 2016, NBA players John Wall, Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gay, Shaun Livingston, Chandler Parsons, and Austin Rivers all served as boosters for different teams. This kind of fan support from prominent figures in the basketball world adds to the excitement and popularity of the tournament.
The tournament structure also plays a role in fan involvement. Since 2016, TBT has typically featured a 64-team field, divided into regional competitions, with each region's top teams advancing to the championship venue. This format encourages fans from various regions to passionately support their local teams and creates a sense of community involvement. The regional format allows for a broader reach of fan engagement, as supporters from different areas can rally behind their respective teams, fostering a sense of local pride and investment in the tournament.
Furthermore, the home court advantage aspect of TBT encourages fan participation and involvement. The team that sells 4,000 tickets first earns the right to play on their home court, creating an incentive for fans to actively support and promote their team's ticket sales. This initiative adds a layer of fan engagement and participation, as supporters can directly impact their team's performance and comfort level by securing the home court advantage.
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Format and rules
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is a 5-on-5, single-elimination basketball tournament with a winner-takes-all prize, which has been $1 million since 2020. The tournament has featured as many as 97 teams (in 2015) and as few as 24 teams (in 2020). Since 2016, the tournament has typically used a 64-team field, divided into eight regions, with each regional winner advancing to the championship venue. The 2022 event returned to the former eight-region format, with the eight regional winners advancing to "Championship Week", featuring quarterfinals at two sites, followed by semifinals and the final at the championship venue.
TBT uses a modified version of the NCAA men's basketball rules. Games are played in 9-minute quarters instead of 20-minute halves (or the 10-minute quarters of the NCAA women's game). Replay review is governed by NCAA rules, with one modification: any review allowed only in the last two minutes of a game under NCAA rules is allowed in TBT only if either team is within three points of the Elam Ending target score.
All tournament games operate with the "Elam Ending", a format of ending the game without the use of a game clock. Under the Elam Ending, the clock is turned off at the first dead-ball whistle with under four minutes to play in the game. At that time, a target score, equal to the score of the leading team plus eight, is set, and the first team to reach this target score wins the game. Thus, all games end on a made basket (field goal or free throw) and there is no overtime.
Each regional host has the right to home-court advantage throughout TBT's Championship Game. The first team to sell 4,000 tickets earns Home Court Advantage, while the other seven hosts are ranked according to the fastest to 4,000 tickets sold.
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Player participation
The TBT has attracted the participation of several current and former NBA players, including notable names like Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, Mike Bibby, Royal Ivey, Matt Bonner, Jimmer Fredette, and Brian Scalabrine. Former WNBA player Nikki Teasley also participated in the 2014 tournament. The 2018 tournament marked the return of Greg Oden to the basketball court, previously having last played in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Additionally, the TBT has featured alumni teams from various colleges and universities, with five such teams claiming the championship title: Buffalo, Marquette, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Syracuse. These alumni teams often receive fan support from active NBA players, with names like Kyle Lowry, Obi Toppin, John Wall, Kristaps Porzingis, and Rudy Gay lending their backing to different teams. The tournament has also seen NBA players take on roles as boosters or hosts, such as Carmelo Anthony, who hosted the 2017 tournament in Baltimore.
The TBT's format and rules are worth noting as they differ slightly from traditional basketball tournaments. The games are played in 9-minute quarters instead of halves, and the tournament adopts the Elam Ending rule, which eliminates the possibility of overtime. The winning team of each game advances its placard on a giant bracket, resembling the All Valley Karate Tournament bracket from the movie "The Karate Kid."
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Frequently asked questions
The Notre Dame Fighting Alumni won the first TBT championship in 2014, defeating Team Barstool 72-68.
The championship prize money for 2014 was $500,000, which was increased to $1 million in 2015 and $2 million from 2016 to 2019.
Overseas Elite has won the most TBT championships, winning four consecutive finals from 2015 to 2018.
