Anthony Davis Bluntly Explained His Motivation for NBA In-Season Tournament

Anthony Davis doesn’t think players will find it difficult to be motivated for the NBA In-Season Tournament.

The Lakers' first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament game is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 10, an evening affair in Phoenix against the Suns. 

Ahead of the clash, Anthony Davis was asked for his thoughts on the In-Season Tournament, and he didn’t mince words when explaining what the main source of motivation was for players under the new competition.

Speaking to reporters, Davis bluntly declared that money was the key motivation for players to give it their all in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament.

“I don’t really think it’s the trophy,” said Davis, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Everybody loves money. With the money in front of them, especially that amount, you kind of pick it up a little bit.”

Anthony Davis putting the ax to the root and channeling his inner Rod Tidwell when discussing the appeal of the NBA’s new in-season tournament from a player perspective pic.twitter.com/t5u8AWk8fH

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 8, 2023

Under the rules of the tournament, players from the winning team will each take home $500,000. The runners-up will each earn $200,000, while those in the semifinals and quarterfinals will collect $100,000 and $50,000 respectively. Those same figures are mimicked for the head coaches. 

Despite the lofty salaries made by NBA players, Davis made clear that the $18 million prize pool has generated significant interest around the league. 

Pairing the money with the fact that these games count towards teams’ regular season record, players should have no issues unlocking the motivation to give it their all in the tournament. 

Following Friday’s tilt, the Lakers will have three more matches in the group stage of the In-Season Tournament, with games against the Grizzles (Nov. 14), Trail Blazers (Nov. 17), and Jazz (Nov. 21).