The NBA can't seem to stop trying to find ways to spice things up around the league. That's why Commissioner Adam Silver is always screwing around with the format of the All-Star Game.
In 2023, the league introduced the NBA Cup, a mid season tournament. The group stage games happen as part of the regular season with the finals happening in Las Vegas. The winner gets the NBA Cup, which is a thing, now.
The inaugural champions were the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the only championship they saw that year. They were followed by the Milwaukee Bucks, who had an equally mediocre season after that.