Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are headed to Vegas to compete against the impeccable Oklahoma City Thunders for the polished and bright NBA Cup. The NBA Cup finals will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 17th December at 8:30 p.m. ET. Each player on the winning team will get an additional $500k in prize money, along with the shiny trophy.
However, Giannis made it clear that, at this point in his career, it’s more about the accolades and cementing his legacy in the history books as the guy who won the second-ever Emirates NBA Cup, than the financial gains.
Even though $500K is still a lot of money for most players, he believes that if you play solely for monetary reasons, you won’t go far in this league.
It’s life-changing money. Obviously, $500,000—you can put a down payment on a house. For some players, they might never make that kind of money in their career. We play for the young guys because this money would mean a lot to them. For me, I try not to think about the money; I think about the game. I love playing basketball. I don’t play basketball anymore for the money…….at some point, if that’s what motivates you, you won’t go far. For me, it’s about creating more art, creating more moments I can remember, and building a legacy for myself—something my kids can look back on and say, ‘Damn, my dad was a bad MFer when he used to play.’
Giannis Antetokounmpo said
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo says he isn’t thinking about the $500K that comes with winning the NBA Cup:
“It’s life-changing money, okay. Obviously $500,000, you can put a down payment on a house… Personally, I try not to think about the money. For the game, I love playing… pic.twitter.com/FMdvm25g7j
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 16, 2024
The “Greek Freak” understands that, although winning half a million would mean a lot, especially for the younger guys on the team, if you play only for monetary gains, you aren’t going to make it.
He touched on how he himself once played for the money—to provide for his family, buy his mom a house, etc.—but at some point, one needs something more than the money itself to motivate them to put themselves through the wear and tear of the grind every single day.
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates as the league’s leader in average points per game
Leading the league in average points per game at 32.7, Giannis Antetokounmpo is having yet another stellar season. A powerhouse of consistency and dominance, he currently sits in second place for total points scored this season—just behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, his opponent in the upcoming NBA Cup Finals.
The “Greek Freak” has been producing points at an elite level for his team. He has been among the top five leading scorers every season for the past five years. This consistency may be why he is the frontrunner in the MVP race this year, along with familiar names like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. This season, he has played in 23 games so far and has yet to have a night where he shot below 50% from the field.
Giannis tallied his 100th career game with 30+ points, 10+ rebounds on 60%+ shooting in the Semifinals.
Only five other players in NBA history have 100 or more such games: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (188), Wilt Chamberlain (151), Shaquille O’Neal (142), Karl Malone (131) and Charles… pic.twitter.com/6j8EqDOTgm
— NBA (@NBA) December 16, 2024
In the 2024–25 season, the Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player is averaging 32.7 points per game, in addition to grabbing 11.5 rebounds and dishing out 6.1 assists. His new partner in crime, Damian Lillard, is also contributing with 25.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on average.
Although Damian Lillard‘s stat sheet hasn’t deviated much from last season, something is different about the duo this time around. There is a chemistry and connection between them that was lacking before. Fans are eager to see if the Bucks can win the NBA Cup this season and how deep they will go into the playoffs.
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