Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo received an unexpected windfall on Tuesday night after his team beat the New York Knicks.
The Bucks throttled the Knicks 146-122 in their NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals matchup at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. The win booked the Bucks a semifinal clash Thursday against the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas.
The grand prize for winning the inaugural tournament this season is widely known to be $500,000 for each player on the champion team. But Antetokounmpo was oblivious to the fact that even just advancing to the semifinals would mean a $100,000 prize for every player.
The Bucks star was caught off guard when informed after the game of his newfound winnings by TNT sideline reporter Jared Greenberg.
“Are we getting money now? We’ve got some money? Hey, the rich get richer,” said Antetokounmpo.
Giannis didn't know about the In-Season Tournament prize money 🤣 pic.twitter.com/rzAiYjViLC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2023
Antetokounmpo immortalized the moment by posting a photo of his interview it on X. The 2-time MVP added a fitting 3-word caption: “Viva Las Vegas.”
VIVA LAS VEGAS 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/rv6sUFNEHn
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) December 6, 2023
The Bucks signed Antetokounmpo to a contract extension for an eye-popping sum in October. In the grand scheme of things, a hundred grand probably doesn’t impact the Greek Freak all that much.
But Antetokounmpo was arguably the most deserving of the prize money given his performance in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals against the Knicks.
The Bucks big man poured in 35 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals in the lopsided victory.
