Knicks relish monetary rewards in NBA Cup conquest
NEW YORK, United States — New York Knicks reserve guard Tyler Kolek already knows exactly where his NBA Cup prize money is going: straight toward buying his father a new car.
For Josh Hart, the bonus will help replace luxury watches stolen during a hotel robbery earlier this season.
But for Knicks All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Towns, the money carries a far deeper meaning—transforming lives in his home country.
Towns said his NBA Cup earnings will be directed toward youth sports development in the Dominican Republic, where he is helping fund a major community project in honor of his late mother.
“I probably give it to DR,” Towns told Amazon Prime’s Chris Haynes. “I got a lot of stuff going there. It will go to sports ministries over there. All the money—it’s going to take care of the kids over in Santiago. So, you know, I would love to win so I could give more money to help the community.”
Knicks capture first NBA Cup title in comeback win
The Knicks secured their first NBA Cup championship with a 124-113 come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night in Las Vegas (Wednesday morning Manila time).
OG Anunoby led New York with 28 points, while Jalen Brunson added 25 points and eight assists to earn NBA Cup MVP honors. The win capped a strong in-season tournament run for the Knicks, who erased a double-digit deficit in the second half.
Beyond the trophy and bragging rights, the victory carried a significant financial reward.
Each Knicks player on a standard NBA contract earned an additional $318,560 for winning the title. Combined with the $212,373 guaranteed for reaching the final, that pushed individual payouts to $530,933. Two-way players received half shares.
Prize money means different things across the roster
For Towns, who is earning $53.1 million this season, the bonus is largely symbolic. But its impact abroad, he said, will be substantial.
Towns is partnering with Go Ministries and World Youth Clubs to build a large-scale sports complex in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The project will include basketball courts, multi-sport fields, training facilities and educational spaces designed to create long-term opportunities for underprivileged youth. The initiative honors his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, who died from complications related to COVID-19 in 2020.
For Kolek, however, the prize money hits much closer to home.
The rookie guard, who is earning $2.2 million this season, said last year’s NBA Cup quarterfinal bonus allowed him to buy his mother a car. This time, he plans to do the same for his father.
“It means a lot to some,” Kolek told reporters. “Maybe not as much to others, obviously. But that’s a big amount of money for a guy like myself. It’s not only about the money—we want to win this to hold up the trophy and for the fans.”
Kolek finished with 14 points and five assists off the bench in the championship game. He sparked the Knicks’ second-half comeback alongside Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson, who scored 15 points. Mitchell Robinson added 15 rebounds off the bench, while Towns recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Hart jokes about Vegas, replacing stolen watches
Hart, for his paryt, took a lighter approach when discussing how he plans to use his share.
“I got robbed in September… lost three watches,” Hart told ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly. “So I gotta start replacing them, man. We’re in Vegas—put it on the hand of blackjack, might be able to double it and get more watches. There’s a couple I want, and my wife will probably want something too, so I’ll have to get her something.”
On the Spurs’ side, rookie guard Dylan Harper—the No. 2 overall pick and a Filipino-American standout—led San Antonio with 21 points in the loss.
More than money for Knicks’ locker room
While the NBA Cup prize money does not count toward salary caps or regular-season statistics, it has quickly become a meaningful incentive across the league—particularly for younger players and those outside max contracts.
Whether it goes toward philanthropy, family gifts or replacing stolen valuables, the payout represents something different for every Knicks player. What they shared, however, was a common sentiment: winning together in Las Vegas made the reward even sweeter.
And for Towns, the impact will extend far beyond the Strip—and far beyond basketball.
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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for US-based publication Heavy.com.
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