The NBA Cup appears to be a success among players, with teams clearly giving a little extra push during these special matchups to win the prize money on the line. JR Smith was hesitant to accept the concept of the new In-Season Tournament, however, underwhelmed by the entire spectacle. But he changed his tune once he learned of the hefty $500,000 first-place handout for every member of the team.
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“Yeah, if I’m playing the games anyway, I wouldn’t mind ’cause who wouldn’t want the extra 500 racks?” Smith reconsidered his stance on the tournament on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back. The 39-year-old was intrigued by the idea of competing for a mid-season payday.
But Smith was quick to reject the most unique aspect of the NBA Cup – the dazzling court re-designs.
“I hang out a lot at night and to come in the next day and see a court like that, bro, I’d be out of there.”@TheRealJRSmith wasn’t a fan of the NBA Cup until he found out about the $500k bonus
https://t.co/K8K162bqMn@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/Q2agZILmp1
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 16, 2024
The two-time champion explained how the flashy courts were the reason he thought the NBA Cup was a separate entity from the league’s regular season. “It just seems different with the courts. The way they try to present it… I hate the courts. The courts is trippy,” Smith said.
He underlined his dislike of the league’s decision to opt for the colorful and gaudy designs. “I hang out a lot at night and to come in the next day and see a court like that, bro, I’d be out of there,” Smith added.
The 2013 Sixth Man of the Year isn’t the first to air out his frustrations regarding the NBA’s unique court patterns for the in-season competition. Spectators and fans alike have been known to have mixed feelings about the colossal shift from the league’s usual designs.
But Smith does stick out as one of the only players to criticize the tournament as a whole. Most players have taken it as extra motivation during a grueling 82-game schedule, which was undoubtedly one of the league’s foremost priorities when creating the NBA Cup.
Most NBA players have been motivated by the NBA Cup
Even superstar talents, who are making upwards of $25 million a year nowadays, have shown an extra competitive edge throughout the In-Season Tournament. It serves for a most players a fun distraction from the mundane season schedule.
Giannis Antetokounmpo passionately spoke about the Milwaukee Bucks’ opportunity to take care of business after the team advanced to the semi-finals.
“I’m very happy we get to go to Vegas. We have unfinished business. We’re going to have fun, we’re going to play good basketball, we’re going to compete,” Antetokounmpo said excitedly on Wednesday. Now, after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 110-102 on Saturday, Giannis and the Bucks will have a chance to achieve their goal against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Finals.
However, chances are that JR Smith won’t be watching the interesting matchup.
