The Milwaukee Bucks are leaving Las Vegas with huge moneybags after they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 on Tuesday night in the NBA Cup final. For most of the players, that meant a $514,971 reward.
The NBA Cup prize may not mean too much for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard, but it does for the lower-paid players in the squad. Giannis Antetokounmpo said this was one of his main motivations for winning since he wanted to bless his teammates, such as two-way player Liam Robbins.
“We had this joke with the team about our two-way guy Liam that I promised him from the first cup game,” Antetokounmpo shared during the postgame interview. “I promised him we are to go all the way, and you’re going to get your house in Iowa. So after that every game I’m like ‘Hey, one step closer to your house in Iowa’.”
Liam Robbins earns under $600,000 from his contract, so winning the NBA Cup holds greater significance. The 25-year-old center, who will get $257,485.50, will be forever indebted to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks aim to keep the momentum going
After a 2-8 start, the Milwaukee Bucks have improved to 14-11 on the season. Given the way they have played lately, it’s possible that they can get a Top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference soon.
The Milwaukee Bucks will have a few days of rest before resuming their 2024-25 campaign with a back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards.
Furthermore, Milwaukee will face Oklahoma City two more times this season on February 4th and March 17th.
