When the NBA's calendar turned over on June 30, one of the first things the league made a point to do was announce the selection of Hinkle Fieldhouse as the first host of the NBA Cup Final outside of Las Vegas.The IndyStar contacted the NBA to get a better sense of the process by which the league arrived at the decision to choose Hinkle. The league responded by e-mail with answers to the Star's question's from NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Global Events Kelly Flatow. The Q&A follows. Question: I recall Commissioner (Adam) Silver suggesting college arenas as a possibility last year. What sparked his and the league's interest in making the change out of Las Vegas and what drove the league to look at college arenas?Answer: (The NBA referred to commissioner Adam Silver's quote from an interview in December, 2025.) Were talking with Amazon Prime about whether it makes sense to maybe go to some unique locations for the final game. They have suggested, for example, some storied college arenas so were just looking at other ways we can do this.Q: When was a decision made to move forward in moving the final out of Las Vegas?A: Throughout last season, the league, Amazon and key partners like Emirates have discussed ways to continue evolving and elevating the Emirates NBA Cup experience for our fans. As those discussions progressed, the idea of bringing the championship moments to historic venues like Hinkle Fieldhouse came to life. Hinkle Fieldhouse has a rich basketball history and iconic place in the sport.Q: When and how did communication with Butler begin to use Hinkle Fieldhouse? What's made them a good partner in this endeavor?A: We started having initial conversations with a number of universities after Emirates NBA Cup last year. Indianapolis is a proven destination for large scale events, and Butler University shares our vision of creating a distinctive experience for players, fans and viewers.Q: What ultimately made Hinkle the right choice for this move?A: Hinkle Fieldhouse offers a unique combination of history, authenticity and basketball tradition that makes it an ideal stage for the Emirates NBA Cup Championship.Q: Hinkle is obviously an older arena located in a spot in Indianapolis removed from downtown while T-Mobile Arena is in the Las Vegas strip area right next to casinos. What did the league need to see to know that Butler and Hinkle would be compatible with the logistics for hosting this event? What if anything will the school, arena and the league need to do to make this work that might have been more intuitive in Las Vegas with a newer and larger facility?A: Whenever we bring a major event to a venue, we go through a comprehensive evaluation process to ensure it can support all the operational, broadcast, team and fan requirements involved. Throughout those conversations, Butler, Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Indianapolis community demonstrated the capacity and clear commitment to partnering with us to deliver a first-class Emirates NBA Cup Championship experience.Q: What led to the decision to host the semifinals in home facilities?A: This decision was made for a few reasons, but largely to offer fans an opportunity to experience a marquee, high-stakes game in their team market.Building excitement this way will help create even more momentum heading into the championship game.Q: To what extent is this change permanent? Does the league plan to pick a different classic college venue each season?A: While its too soon to discuss potential future locations, the decision to bring the Emirates NBA Cup to Hinkle Fieldhouse is part of a multiyear vision to bring the Championship to distinctive stages that honor the sports history while connecting with audiences around the world.This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'Authenticity' drove NBA's interest in Hinkle Fieldhouse for NBA Cup Final