The NBA Cup tournament starts on Oct. 31, and the league has revealed the court designs for all 30 teams. Previous years saw these courts garner significant attention for their striking visual appeal, with past controversies stemming from their playability. A notable incident occurred when the Dallas Mavericks were unable to utilize their court due to a manufacturing issue.

With this being the third installment of the NBA Cup courts and following successful designs last season, expectations are high for the upcoming courts.

This year’s offerings promise the most inventive designs yet—varying from aesthetically pleasing to overly extravagant—certain to stir up engaging conversations.

With all the designs unveiled, it’s time to rank the courts according to their appeal:

30. Toronto Raptors

The ransom note font combined with an aggressive shade of red places this design at the bottom.

“The Raptors new court for the Emirates NBA Cup pic.twitter.com/cwVzd5oWR5” — NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2025

29. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers’ use of highlighter yellow is excessive, overshadowing their traditional colors. A true gold would have been preferable.

“The Lakers new court for the Emirates NBA Cup pic.twitter.com/TipSW4m1JC” — NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2025

28. Miami Heat

While I find the brightness of the yellow off-putting, the absence of red is a plus. Typically the Heat bring flair to their jerseys, so this bland design is surprising.

“The MiamiHEAT new court for the Emirates NBA Cup pic.twitter.com/BpV5H2qUTD” — NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2025

… (additional rankings and descriptions continue)