When the New York Knicks captured the NBA Cup on Dec. 16, the celebratory spotlight wasn’t just on the players; it extended to the behind-the-scenes staff who help make the team work seamlessly. Veteran guard Josh Hart confirmed Sunday that he, Jalen Brunson, and several other top-paid Knicks are sharing portions of their prize money with support staff who normally don’t receive bonuses.
Spreading the Wealth
Each player on the championship roster earned more than $500,000 for winning the NBA Cup. Hart told The New York Post that the decision to distribute part of that money to team staff was “not a hard decision.” He cited massage therapists, PR staff, and other personnel as recipients, noting, “Some of those people don’t get a bonus and they’re working to make sure we’re at the top of the game…We want to make sure those people are also compensated for their extra time and their efforts.”
Top earners on the team, including Karl-Anthony Towns ($53 million annually), OG Anunoby ($39.6 million), Brunson ($34.9 million), Mikal Bridges ($24.9 million), and Hart ($19.5 million), are leading the effort. “It’s something we talked about before…Me and [Brunson] talked about it at one point,” Hart said. “And we were like, ‘Yeah, we’ll figure it out. We want to make sure we take care of everyone.’”
For staff members and lower-paid teammates, these funds can make a meaningful difference. Rookie Tyler Kolek, for on, used last year’s smaller NBA Cup bonus to buy his mother a car. Jordan Clarkson joked he’s using his NBA Cup money this year to pay his rent. “I’m going to pay my rent, fa sho,” Clarkson said, according to The New York Times. “They can just have the whole thing.”
Hart, who had watches stolen in September, added he might replace them with some of his bonus funds. Towns said also he plans send some of his earnings to charitable causes in the Dominican Republic.
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