A total of 64 teams will once again battle it out during this NBA offseason for a winner-take-all grand prize of $2 million in the fourth edition of “The Basketball Tournament.”

The tournament has gained notoriety since its inception, which started in 2014 with a grand prize of $500,000, which went up to $1 million in 2015, and consequently $2 million in 2016.

The teams are comprised of more than 40 former NBA players like Jason Williams and Mike Bibby suiting up to make a run at the prize and some bragging rights. Most of the teams are either by region/state or some comprised of alumni of a school.

Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard and some more NBA players like Wes Matthews, Darren Collison and twins Markieff and Marcus Morris will be in charge of coaching some of the teams in the field. Lillard will be at the helm of his alma mater Weber State and its alums.

“It's just an honor and fun to see so many of my former friends and teammates coming together again years later to achieve that common goal,” Lillard told ESPN's Jeff Goodman. “This tournament has given people who choose to compete in it an opportunity to be on a big stage for a life-changing reward.”

Overseas Elite has won the championship for two straight years and will get an automatic bid into the final 16 teams, which all put in $5,000 each to be sorted into a bracket and compete for the grand prize.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Bucks' Damian Lillard and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith

Benedetto Vitale ·

Bucks players Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo looking at Tyrese Haliburton.

Matt Wadleigh ·

Milwaukee Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo

Preston Byers ·

One of the surprises of the tournament will be Ohio State product and former Blazers' No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden, who will work his way back to lead an Ohio State team into the bracket.

“We're now heading into our fourth tournament and I continue to be surprised at our growth,” founder Jon Mugar told ESPN. “Our final 15 games will be shown live on TV: half on ESPN and half on ESPN2. The first 48 will be on ESPN3. We also have a former No. 1 NBA pick in Greg Oden working out, trying to get himself into playing shape to help an Ohio State Alumni team win $2 million. The determination to win has never been higher. I thought it would take 10 years to get to this point.”