Lakers Star Reveals Secret Motivation For Tournament Victory

The first-ever NBA in-season tournament has concluded, and the Los Angeles Lakers emerged as the champions in the Finals held in Vegas this weekend. Following several intense weeks, the Lakers maintained an undefeated record throughout the tournament. Now, after securing the championship, one star has spoken out, shedding light on some of the motivation behind the team's success.

Lakers Star Speaks Out

After their victory, Lakers star Austin Reaves appeared on Fanduel TV, unveiling an unlikely source of motivation for the team during their pursuit of the first-ever NBA Cup.

Reaves highlighted the Lakers' 'Young guys' as significant motivators during the knockout stages of the competition, and claimed that Roster players on smaller contracts pleaded with Reaves and the main rotation to secure victories, as it would enable them to earn six-figure bonuses.

"All the young guys were running around even before the game like, 'Please win, please win.', 2-ways were like 'This is a $150,000 game for us, we need you to win." 😂

Austin Reaves on the Lakers incentive to win the IST.

📺: https://t.co/qYBPWhYgh7 pic.twitter.com/4EqeQFupXB— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 11, 2023

Cash Bonuses

With the top-end Lakers stars all on multimillion-dollar contracts, including Reaves who signed a $54 million deal just this past summer, the cash incentives weren't as critical as they were for players on lower salaries. Six-figure bonuses increased with each knockout game victory, culminating in a grand total bonus of $500,000 for the winner. Many players on two-way contracts or minimum salaries saw the tournament win as a chance to nearly double their yearly earnings.

The burning desire from these players was undoubtedly instilled in the Lakers' main core, resulting in exceptional performances during tournament games compared to the standard regular-season matches this year.

Credits
Lakers Daily