Subscribe
Follow Us
LAS VEGAS, NV — Every player on the Milwaukee Bucks left Las Vegas $500,000 richer after the franchise took home the second ever NBA Cup this week. Brook Lopez's club defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, 97-81, to secure the Cup and the winnings that come with it.
Not many people go to a city like Las Vegas — notorious for its endless access to gambling tables, slots, and games — and leave it with significantly more money than they came in.
Brook Lopez, Bucks leave Las Vegas with $500,000
Brook Lopez was among four Milwaukee Bucks players in double-figure scoring in Tuesday's blowout victory over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Lopez scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three in 37 minutes of play.
After the victory, Lopez was among a handful of players who were available to media in the Bucks locker room during their celebrations. That's where he joked about returning from a Las Vegas trip with more money than when he came into it.
“That's not too bad either,” Lopez said. “It's rare people leave Vegas with an extra $500,000, so we'll definitely enjoy that.”
“It's rare people leave Vegas with an extra $500,000, so we'll definitely enjoy that.”
Brook Lopez and the Bucks left Las Vegas $500,000 richer 😂
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/TzNdCOEELN
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 19, 2024
Lopez, who was a big contributor to the Bucks' 2021 Championship run, hopes to use this NBA Cup run as fuel and a taste for another NBA Championship run later this season.
“It's an amazing feeling right now,” Lopez added. “I was telling the young guys it's like a small small small tease and taste of what it's going to be like in June, so hopefully they take all this in. We're going to have a lot of fun tonight and see the work it takes. I think we're all committed to showing up each and every day to make that goal in June a reality.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee with a monster 26-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist triple double that also included two steals and three blocked shots on 10-of-19 shooting. Damian Lillard added 23 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 6-of-12 shooting from the field with five three-pointers. Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. both recorded 13 points while shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
The game was just another opportunity for the world to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo display his overall dominance and improved game. The Bucks' star is averaging a career-high and league-leading 32.7 points per game. Oh, and he's doing it while shooting a career-high 61.4 percent from the field.
“He's just always hungry, he's never complacent, and he's never plateaued,” Brook Lopez added of Giannis after the win. “He's the best player in the world and he's always trying to get better. Every offseason, every day. Aside from all the talent, all the amazing plays he makes, just to see how hard he plays, how he gets on the floor, the way he goes after blocked shots, rebounds, making all the hustle plays. You just have to follow his lead.”
Of the 133 teammates that Antetokounmpo has played with throughout his NBA career, Brook Lopez sits at 417 games played with the Greek star. That ranks second behind only Khris Middleton, who has played 723 games with Antetokounmpo over his career.
In the 417 games they've played together, Lopez and Antetokounmpo have a 292-125 record (.700), including a 36-24 record in the NBA playoffs.
With the NBA Cup all wrapped up, the Bucks will now return home for just one day of rest before heading back out on the road for a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
