After a difficult 2-8 start to the season, the Bucks bounced back tremendously. They won 12 of their next 15 games and earned a spot in the NBA Cup final where they faced off against OKC. Milwaukee was the heavy underdog but dominated the game and won 97-81. Despite having every reason to celebrate, the Bucks’ locker room bash after the win was muted compared to the Lakers when they won the tournament last year. There were no champagne showers, like LA’s, and Thananis believes that’s the right mindset after winning the NBA Cup.
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On the Thanalysis Show, he explained why the Bucks opted not to pop champagne bottles after beating the Thunder and also took a shot at the Lakers’ celebration from a year ago. He said,
“Every cup I’ve played in overseas you do have a celebration. You do put on your medal and raise the cup and people go crazy. But it was never champagne. When we won the league, that’s different. So to me, it was normal, I think last year threw me off. Like okay, I can see it but usually, you just act like this is a team success, a city success for the club. Then let’s keep it moving. Let’s go get the bigger one.”
Thananis is speaking from experience. In 2019, he won the Greek Cup, the country’s equivalent of the NBA’s in-season tournament, with Panathinaikos. While the team did celebrate the victory, it wasn’t as extravagant as the party they had after winning the Greek League four months later.
Even if the Bucks had planned any over-the-top celebrations for their NBA Cup win, a former winner of the tournament was on hand to nip the plan in the bud.
Ex-Lakers coach made sure the Bucks didn’t celebrate with champagne
Assistant coach Darvin Ham, who led the Lakers to victory in the inaugural edition of the NBA Cup last year, ensured Milwaukee did not celebrate winning the tournament as if it were a championship victory.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers told me after talking with Darvin Ham and his experience with Lakers last season, they chose not to celebrate The Cup championship with dousing and drinking of champagne. Want to focus on the remainder of the season. pic.twitter.com/CQ0J0aoeWz
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 18, 2024
Possibly to the displeasure of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the Bucks limited their celebration to the hardwood. However, NBA fans will remember their decision to pass up on their locker room celebration. Their progress as the season continues will indicate if their choice had any impact.
