When the NBA In-Season Tournament was announced, there were many doubts about whether the players would consider this a serious tournament to participate in, or whether they would continue to compete to keep up the fight in the NBA. Playoff round. When the group stage ended, all those doubts were erased, as the players always expressed their desire to win at the highest level.
Tense confrontations until the last moment like the match between Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings on the morning of November 29 are the clearest evidence. The players understand that they are a professional athlete and must perform according to the audience’s expectations.
Not only that, the huge bonus level is also one of the main reasons promoting competition between teams.
Prize money for the NBA In-Season Tournament championship team
- Champion: 500,000 USD per player
- Runner-up: 200,000 USD per player
- Semi-finals: 100,000 USD per player
- Quarterfinals: 50,000 USD per player
Looking at the bonus distribution table of the NBA In-Season Tournament, it is clear that this is an extremely attractive income level. Remember, the winning players in the All-Star Game only receive $100,000 each.
This bonus will also apply to head coaches of teams that reach the corresponding milestones. For assistant coach positions, they will receive 75% of the bonus value depending on the team’s final ranking.
What do superstars say about NBA In-Season Tournament bonuses?
According to statistics, the average salary in the NBA is about 10 million USD. Even for high-income players, a $500,000 bonus is still a valuable asset. Many players have said that the fact that the In-Season Tournament has high rewards is the motivation for them to play their best in the group stage matches.
Spencer Dinwiddie: “Who doesn’t like money? Half a million dollars in prize money can pay for my Rolls-Royce”.
Paolo Banchero: “That money means a lot. You win, you get $500,000. I don’t know what you think, but I will fight for that money”.
LeBron James: “$500,000 is a good bonus, so let’s keep fighting”.
Anthony Davis: “$500,000 sounds good. I would like to win that”.
Gary Payton II: “Basketball will become very fierce if fighting for money”.
Quentin Grimes: “People often talk about cups, about championship titles. But I see most players go on the field and want to win that money”.
What does the NBA In-Season Tournament bonus mean for young players?
The $500,000 bonus may not be too important for the NBA’s
top-paid players. However, for young players who cannot yet prove their talent, the starting salary of 1.1 million USD and only increasing gradually over the years of playing is a huge amount of money. For players receiving salaries from two-way contracts or players promoted from the G-League, $500,000 can be equal to their income for the entire competition year.
Veteran NBA players understand the importance of the above money for young players. Some players said that their motivation to play is also because they want to help their teammates win.
“That bonus money can help low-paid players change the quality of life of their families. At least playing their best is what we want to do to help them”, Damian Lillard said.
