The Big Lead

Giannis Antetokounmpo had heartwarming inspiration to win NBA Cup

By Joe Lago

Dec 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the Emirates NBA Cup championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Dec 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the Emirates NBA Cup championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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Giannis Antetokounmpo boasts career salary earnings of nearly $300 million in his 12-year NBA career, so the $500,000 prize money awarded to every Milwaukee Bucks player for Tuesday's NBA Cup victory is relative pocket change for the two-time MVP and eight-time All-Star.

However, the value of such winnings was not lost on Antetokounmpo. He was very aware that the NBA Cup bonus could be "life changing" for teammates at the end of the Bucks bench.

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That motivation drove Antetokounmpo to approach Milwaukee's 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the championship game of the league's in-season tournament with all the verve and intent of an NBA Finals run in June.

And in true holiday spirit, he wanted to be the Santa Claus who gave two-way rookie Liam Robbins the gift of a lifetime.

"From the first Cup game, I promised him and I said we're going to go all the way and you're going to get your house in Iowa," Antetokounmpo recounted of his conversations with the 2023 undrafted center who had his Bucks contract converted into a two-way deal in October. "So after every game I would be like, 'Hey, one step closer to your house in Iowa!'

"And after the game, I went in the the locker room and saw smiles on (everyone's) faces."

Antetokounmpo said that "money doesn't matter" to him and maintains that it has never been the main reason why he's strived for success on the basketball court.

"But I understand that this is life-changing money to people," he said. "I'm happy that we're able to give that to a lot of players, not just players but coaching staff and physios and people that helped us to win this trophy."

Players of the NBA Cup-winning squad will receive $514,971 from the league’s tournament prize pool if they are on standard NBA contracts. Players on two-way deals will get half of that amount.

Damian Lillard told ESPN he would be donating a portion of his NBA Cup winnings to "support staff ... our training staff, the people that come in every day."

"I'm going to try to do something to support them," Lillard added.

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