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What Victor Wembanyama has to say about ‘motivating factor’ behind winning NBA Cup, ‘poor Vic needs…’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 2:00 PM ET

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama made a hilarious statement about the NBA Cup.

Following a dominant win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 NBA Cup.

The Spurs will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder for a shot at reaching the finals of the 2025 NBA Cup.

Dallas Mavericks get Victor Wembanyama for Anthony Davis!

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The best news for the Spurs fans is the return of Victor Wembanyama ahead of their battle against the best team in the NBA.

Victor Wembanyama makes a joke about the NBA Cup prize money

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Ahead of Wembanyama’s return to the Spurs, the 7’4″ French phenom was asked about his thoughts on the NBA Cup prize money.

Rather than giving a straightforward answer, Wemby decided to have some fun with the reporter with a hilarious statement.

“Poor Vic needs more money, right? I haven’t thought about what I’m gonna do with it, but just stacking money hasn’t really been a goal of mine,” Wembanyama stated.

While the prize money may be a motivating factor for many players to compete in the NBA Cup, that’s not the case for Wembanyama.

Let’s not forget, Wemby is currently on his standard four-year, $55.1 million rookie contract, which makes him about $13.7 million annually, but extra money is still not a motivation for the Spurs superstar.

How much money does each player earn in the NBA Cup?

Speaking of the NBA Cup prize money, it’s certainly not a small amount, especially for young players and athletes who are on the far end of the bench.

For starters, if a team reaches the quarterfinals, each player on a standard contract earns $53,093.

If they advance to the semifinals, the prize money is bumped to $106,187 for each player. In case the Spurs finish as the NBA Cup runner-ups, each player will get $212,373.

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However, the end goal, which is lifting the NBA Cup trophy, will fetch each player $530,933. Despite that, money is not a major motivating factor for Wembanyama to win the trophy.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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