NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes the league’s global aspirations will be significantly aided by the introduction of the new In-Season Tournament — an effort specifically designed to resemble international sports.

The league on Saturday introduced the new competition, which was a key component of the newly signed labor deal with the National Basketball Players Association. Starting on Nov. 3, the tournament will involve a group stage of six five-team groups, with the six group winners and two wild cards advancing to an eight-team knockout stage in early December. The semifinals and final will be held Dec. 7 and 9 in a Final Four-type event set for Las Vegas as teams compete for the new NBA Cup.

Aimed partly at boosting the relatively slower early part of the regular-season schedule, the In-Season Tournament takes sizable influence from Cup events in European soccer.