Swarm Set for Franchise’s First-Ever Winter Showcase Cup Tournament, Face Gold

ORLANDO, FLA. – The Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, are set to compete in the NBA G League Winter Showcase Cup Tournament, opening play Friday at 1 p.m. ET on NBA TV against the Grand Rapids Gold at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

In their 10th anniversary season, the Swarm will make their first-ever appearance in the NBA G League Winter Showcase Cup Tournament, which is reserved for the top eight teams from Tip-Off Tournament play. Greensboro secured the fourth seed after posting a 10-4 record, entering the tournament on a five-game winning streak. This comes after its 2024-25 campaign, which saw the team notch its first playoff berth. It carries a seeding advantage over fellow 10-4 opponent, the fifth-seeded Grand Rapids Gold, with Greensboro leading the team tiebreaker (point differential).

The Swarm need three victories to capture the NBA G League Winter Showcase Cup Championship, with hardware up for grabs during the championship game, slated for Dec. 22 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Greensboro enters the Showcase riding one of the most dominant stretches in franchise history. The Swarm set a new single-game scoring record with a 145-point outburst at Delaware on Nov. 15, surpassing the previous franchise mark and headlining an early-season surge that has placed multiple performances into the team’s record book. Four of the top 10 scoring outputs in franchise history have come during the 14-game Tip-Off Tournament run, including a 139-point showing in a 31-point victory at College Park on Dec. 12 – the sixth-largest margin of victory in team history.

The Swarm have also established themselves as one of the NBA G League’s premier rebounding teams. Greensboro leads the league in rebounds per game (51.9), rebound percentage (55.1) and defensive rebound percentage (72.2), while ranking second in offensive rebound percentage (37.3). That dominance translated into historic efforts on Dec. 12, when the Swarm tied a franchise record with 63 rebounds while also entering the top-10 record book in assists, defensive rebounds, field goals made and margin of victory in the same contest.

The Gold enter play with a similar path, beginning its campaign 4-0 while slotting second in the league in rebounding.

Fans can follow the contest via NBATV or through the Greensboro Swarm’s social media channels, here.