Since the 2023-24 season, it has become a yearly tradition that as a new NBA campaign begins, the NBA Cup quickly creeps up on teams to spice things up. Going off two cliché words during this time of year, 'creep' and 'spice', it's fitting that the first set of NBA Cup Group Stage matchups are set for an October 31 tip-off, which of course is Halloween.
The Toronto Raptors will be part of East Group A (first revealed in July, which I covered here) which also features the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks (who they just handled in a commanding season opener win), Indiana Pacers, and Washington Wizards. The Raps will kick things off in their ambitious NBA Cup campaign on the road against Cleveland next Friday. As is customary with the NBA Cup festivities, each team's court takes a unique and bold style, and they have officially been unveiled.
Per the news release by writer Jon Hartzell for NBA.com: "Designed by artist Victor Solomon, the courts feature fully-painted gradient designs, personalized overlays for each team, and hidden details for the two previous NBA Cup champions, in addition to other unique features. Solomon also created the courts for last season’s tournament and collaborated with Tiffany & Co. to design the NBA Cup trophy.
Regarding Toronto's bold court, it seems to have divided the community. I don't think I need to be the one to say that Raptors fans hold a special place in their hearts for the vintage purple color scheme that is so synonymous with the franchise. Last year, those purple fanatics got their wish, and in 2023-24, those who vibe with the OVO-inspired black and gold color scheme were treated to a sleek court. But this year, Toronto will be hitting the red hardwood, and by red I mean quite the in-your-face hue.
Now, upon doing some snooping around social media, it appears there are those in Raptors Nation who can get behind the new court, and others who think it's going to be an absolute eyesore. To be fair, Houston, Atlanta, and Washington all have courts that feature a predominantly red theme too. Again, as I mentioned earlier, I don't know too many folks in Raptors Nation who are head over heels for the largely perceived red team color identity that has arguably run its course.
Raptors' vivid red NBA Cup court gets mixed reaction on social media
I kinda like it tbh. Curious to see how much glare reflects off the red on TV but other than that I think it’s slick.
— Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh) October 24, 2025
That’s gonna be rough on the eyes
— EKoffsky (@EKoffsky) October 24, 2025
My gosh. it is so ugly. Why do they do this to us.
— Dino_Dynesty (@Raptors_12345) October 24, 2025
Speaking for myself, I’m quite the sucker for the color purple too, not just in a Raptors sense, but since it’s easily my favorite color. I was in absolute awe seeing last year’s purple NBA Cup court in person. I thought it looked amazing in person and translated relatively well on television. Likewise, I can’t say the same for some of the other courts I saw around the league; being bright and whimsical is a nice artistic touch, but as someone who with sensitive eyes (I wear glasses), I can understand the eyesore jokes that circulate across basketball circles.
This year's court doesn't really move the needle for me as much as the previous two, but then again, I'm not losing my mind over it either. It sort of is what it is. If anything, I'm much more focused on how far the Raptors can go in the actual NBA Cup standings.