The NBA’s new In-Season tournament is in full swing. The league for years had an issue with star players taking the regular season lightly while stepping on the gas come playoff time. Not only was this bad for business, as teams had to sell tickets for all 82 regular season games, but it also was a cause of concern for the league due to their expiring media rights deal. To make sure that players didn’t sit out games unnecessarily and to ensure a proper experience for fans, the league announced new resting guidelines, while also introducing the In-Season Tournament to make the season more entertaining.
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The In-Season tournament follows a group format, which sees four teams from each conference fighting it out for a spot in the semis and the final, which will be held in Las Vegas. Other than the Winners getting the NBA Cup, each member of the winning team, including the coaches, is set to receive a $500,000 cheque.
Though $500,000 might not be a lot of money for the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, but is definitely a lot for younger players and role/bench players. For instance, the $500,000 only makes up 1.05℅ of LeBron James’s annual salary( $47,607, 350) but makes up 44℅ of Maxwell Lewis’s annual paycheck( 1,119,563), who is currently the lowest-paid member of the Lakers.
But regardless of how much money LeBron James has, he is always ready to make some more dough. Talking to reporters courtside after an In-Season Tournament win against the Suns, Lebron said, “It feels great cause it’s an In-Season tournament win… And we’d take that, we’d take that for sure. Y’all heard, there’s $500,000 on the line. So, we going for that… We going for that.”
Now everyone knows that LeBron is probably as cheap as anyone in the NBA. But regardless of that, King James might just have too much money to worry about winning $500,000. But for some of his teammates, the $500,000 could be a blessing that could significantly impact them and their families’ lives. LeBron certainly understands that and will play hard to give his guys the best shot at winning the prize money, as he might be eyeing the NBA Cup.
Damian Lillard and the Bucks want some too
The Milwaukee Bucks are a team known for taking pride in their regular season record. With the recent addition of Damian Lillard, the Bucks have become a force to be reckoned with. With Giannis Antetokounmpo having signed his super-max extension for 3 years/ $168 million, it’s safe to say that the Bucks starters aren’t going to be necessarily motivated by $500,000.
But just like LeBron, Dame and Giannis understand that there are people on their team who are not as fortunate as them. Talking about the same after yesterday’s win against the Raptors, Damian Lillard told the media, “You got guys on two-way contracts who are trying to earn a stay and that prize in the end could change their family’s lives.”
It’s great that most players, especially star players are hyped up about the In-Season tournament. Not only are players excited about the maiden NBA Cup and the prize money, but also for the rare opportunity to play in Las Vegas. With LeBron James and the Lakers having won both of their round-robin match-ups, it sure is looking up for the purple-and-gold. With the Lakers currently sitting at the 7th spot in the West, winning the In-Season Tournament might just be what the Lake squad need.
