Milwaukee Bucks hang a banner for Emirates NBA Cup championship

Posted by Admin December 22, 2024 NBA

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It’s perhaps not the perfect gift that the Milwaukee Bucks could stash under the tree this Christmas season, but it’s certainly better than more flannels.

By “tree,” of course, we mean “the rafters of Fiserv Forum.”

The Bucks unveiled their championship banner for winning the Emirates NBA Cup on Saturday before the team faced off with the Washington Wizards, an acknowledgment of the team’s championship win over Oklahoma City in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The simple white banner honored “NBA Cup champions” and matches the gesture that the Los Angeles Lakers performed last year after they won the inaugural event.

“I’m fine with the banner because it does signify that you won something,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said pregame. “The only thing I jokingly said is I don’t want it the same size as a championship banner. I think there should be something. People put up conference titles and division titles; I think that’s bigger. But I do think we should put something up. It’s an accomplishment, and it was a big accomplishment for us.”

The fledgling concept might still be evolving in terms of emotional stakes, but the Bucks played all-out in the 97-81 win, even if it doesn’t count in the standings or stat sheets.

It also came with a cost. Not only was Damian Lillard missing his second straight game since the NBA Cup’s conclusion with the Saturday game against Washington, but Rivers admitted his team was tired, and it showed in Friday’s 124-101 loss to the Cavaliers.

“I said it before so I’m not second guessing (just because we won); they do the rest opposite (of what they should),” Rivers said. “A bunch of teams that were not in it got some rest. I think it should be on the back end. … Going from that high to a day and a half of playing back to back games is just absurd.

“I can tell when players are tired, but when the coaches are tired too, you know you’ve got a problem coming into the game. If I can be honest, I don’t know if we’ve recovered yet. It just takes a lot. After the Cup, the first game should be probably on Sunday; that would have been great for everybody, and then you can get rest for teams that are in it.

“If you ever look back at that Cup ceremony, you can see me over to the right talking to Adam (Silver, NBA commissioner), that’s exactly what I was talking to him about. He asked me what changes I would make.”

The Indiana Pacers lost six of eight immediately following the NBA Cup last year, as did the Lakers, but it was even worse for Los Angeles, which went on to lose 10 of 13 following the championship.

“It just takes a while,” Rivers said.