**NEW YORK —** The NBA Cup returns Friday night, with the league once again reminding players that certain regular-season games are actually much more important than other regular-season games, despite being the exact same regular-season games.
The fourth annual tournament opens with 10 matchups, including the Knicks visiting Philadelphia and the Lakers facing Golden State.
According to imaginary league officials, players have been instructed to approach these games with playoff intensity while remembering that they are not playoff games, unless they eventually become tournament elimination games, which are also not playoff games.
"It's actually very simple," one fictional NBA executive explained. "Every Cup game is a regular-season game, but not every regular-season game is a Cup game. Except the championship, which isn't a regular-season game. Hope that clears things up."
Adding to the confusion, the New York Knicks enter as defending champions of both the NBA Cup and the actual NBA championship, having somehow won both last season.
The Knicks are now defending two titles simultaneously, while the other 29 teams are still trying to establish which championship they're currently attempting to win.
Jalen Brunson reportedly requested clarification on whether winning Friday's game would count as defending one championship, both championships, or simply beating Philadelphia in October.
The NBA has also introduced specially designed courts to help fans identify Cup games, apparently concluding that the easiest way to explain the tournament is to make the basketball floor impossible to ignore.
Group play runs through November 27, with the championship scheduled for December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
**At press time, the league was reportedly considering introducing a third championship for teams that successfully understand the format.**
