The JAB Classic 2026 Explained: Format, Prize Money, NBA Stars and Everything You Need To Know

The summer is a tough time for basketball fans. The night to night chaos of the NBA is replaced by low quality videos of open gyms and player workouts. Draft choices and free agents dominate the media discussions. The entertainment of basketball is largely dead. But to the joy of basketball fans around the world, this year is the start to a new era of summer basketball. 

The JAB Classic

Jared Armstrong is a pro basketball player turned entrepreneur who had a vision bigger than just a game. The idea? To unite a divided world with a universal language we all know and love. Basketball.

Backed by NBA owners, Jared is bringing the biggest basketball event of the summer to his hometown of Philadelphia, and turning his vision into a reality. This year marks the inaugural installation of the JAB classic, an eight team, win or go home tournament with a million dollar prize.

The three day weekend beginning on August 14th, will feature nearly 40 current and past NBA players, along with top musical artists, and some of the biggest personalities all coming together to combat hate. And with Basketballnews, you can watch it all unfold. 

We’ve seen high caliber summer basketball before, but this brings a little more to the table. The JAB classic is building a culture that is new to this time of year.

A New Culture

Hosted by Ghee Funny, the weekend will feature performers like G Herbo and Kur. Award winning chef Mike Solomonov and Federal Donut & Chicken are teaming up as well, presenting a signature Donut symbolizing unity. The tournament’s eight teams further blend the different styles and backgrounds from across the country.

Players will be representing their cities, with basketball hotspots like New York, Chicago, D.C., and of course Philly boasting squads. And this is just the first of an already epic exhibition. “The goal is to make it the biggest basketball event of the summer,”  Armstrong said, describing his vision for the future of this tournament. 

But the Jab Classic is about more than putting some of the best players in the world on a court. “The idea is that when you’re out there, it doesn’t matter about anyone else’s background, because we’re brought together by the orange ball”. Of course bringing everyone together is the ultimate focus, and JAB is doing that through community dinners, clinics, and building basketball courts to unite.

How To Watch

That same vision is what led to the partnership with Basketballnews. “We decided to partner with Basketballnews because we can help each other out. We’re both growing platforms who are building things the right way and it just made sense”. Armstrong also stressed that the little things always make a bigger difference than people realize, and that simply sharing, liking, reposting, and of course donating goes a long way. 

So after all the conversation about basketball, entertainers, and fighting hate, there’s one thing I know I’ll be tuning into next weekend.The JAB classic is bringing us the most exciting basketball in months.

From August 14-16, catch all the action on the Basketballnews youtube channel.