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. The win booked them 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 $500K for each player on the champion team. But Antetokounmpo was oblivious to the fact that even just advancing to the semifinals would mean a $100K 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.
Antetokounmpo immortalized the moment by posting a photo of his interview it on X. The two-time MVP added a fitting three-word caption: “Viva Las Vegas.”
The Bucks signed Antetokounmpo to a contract extension for an eye-watering 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, eight rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in the lopsided victory.
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