Knicks Players, Coaches Make Incredible Gesture With NBA Cup Winnings

New York Knicks players and coaches put their winnings from the NBA Cup to a great cause.

Dec 16, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown at press conference prior to the Emirates NBA Cup Final against the San Antonio Spurs at T-Mobile Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup Champions. They were the last team standing in Las Vegas, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in an exciting game, 124-113.

There were so many positives to take away from the team’s performance. Jalen Brunson took home the MVP award for how well he played throughout the NBA Cup. OG Anunoby deserved consideration as well, stepping up big time against the Orlando Magic in the semifinals and the Spurs in the title game.

Center Mitchell Robinson won his individual matchup against Victor Wembanyama in dominant fashion. Karl-Anthony Towns battled a calf ailment, gutting out the championship game and being named to the All-NBA Cup Team.

Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek stepped up big time, providing a spark to change the tide in the second half. Credit needs to be given to head coach Mike Brown for trusting his guys when they were playing well, which kept stalwarts Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart on the bench.

Highest-paid Knicks give NBA Cup winnings to members of franchise

Feb 28, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts with guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The coaching staff and players are going to receive a lot of credit for winning the championship, and rightfully so. For their victory, the players on the team each received $530,000 and the coaches earned a nice chunk of change as well.

That is a massive lump sum for players on the team. Mohamed Diawara, a rookie second-round pick, and Ariel Hukporti, in his second year with the team, are both on salaries of less than $2 million. Kolek, a breakout performer, is making just under $2.1 million.

However, there are a lot of people who help the Knicks find success on the court that aren’t front and center. There are video staff members, training and medical personnel who aren’t given bonuses for a team performing well in the NBA Cup, but members of the franchise wanted to ensure they received some recognition as well.

During the telecast against the Indiana Pacers, play-by-play commentator Mike Breen revealed that many of the highest-earning members of New York paid it forward, giving a large sum of their winnings to those people who didn’t get a bonus.

Mike Breen: "A number of the highest paid Knicks gave a signficant chunk of their NBA Cup winnings to staff who didn't get money. Mike Brown did as well…So many people…video, medical, training, masseuses…the players really took care of them" pic.twitter.com/WnWcSu3fxx

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 19, 2025

It is a complete team effort. The Knicks aren’t finding the level of success they are currently experiencing without all of those people helping out in the fashion in which they do.

With NBA Finals and championship aspirations, they are going to need the support staff to continue excelling in their areas of expertise. Part of the reason they won't hang an NBA Cup banner was that they have bigger goals to accomplish in June. To achieve them, they need everyone to continue performing their responsibilities at a high level.

The people working the video room and training room may not get public recognition, but the players and coaching staff know how important they are to the team's overall success, and they thanked them for everything they do.

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