The Milwaukee Bucks are the winners of the 2024 NBA Cup, cementing a surprising early-season turnaround. The Bucks went just 2-8 to start the season but have since gone 11-3 and now have an in-season tournament title to show for it.
Winning the NBA Cup isn't yet prestigious enough to be on the same level as winning the championship, but the NBA would probably hope that it will eventually get to that point. With the Bucks having recently won a championship led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, that may help to further legitimize it, and fellow Bucks star Damian Lillard should certainly hope so.
The emphasis surrounding all-time discussions in the NBA often boils down to championships. While Lillard doesn't have a ring, the Bucks winning the NBA Cup is now something he can place on his resume in its absence. Of course, time will tell whether an NBA Cup championship becomes anywhere as important to a player's legacy.
Why Damian Lillard winning an NBA Cup will test the credibility of the in-season tournament.
Lillard has been one of the best offensive players of the last fifteen years but never really got close to winning a championship aside from a surprise Western Conference Finals run in 2017. Now, as a member of the Bucks, the hope was that he would pair with Giannis and finally be able to win an elusive championship.
That didn't happen in their first year together, and it didn't appear likely through the first 10 games of this season. Fortunately, they got back on track with Lillard finally looking more comfortable playing alongside Giannis. This season, he's averaged 25.7 points while shooting 37.1% from three on 9.3 attempts per game, as well as 7.5 assists—outrageous numbers for his age.
That is far closer to his play in Portland than it was during his first season in Milwaukee and proves that he still has plenty left in the tank even at age 34. The Bucks winning the NBA Cup championship probably won't be as validating as a championship will be, but the Bucks outplaying what appears to be the best team in the Western Conference during a big game is notable.
That might not result in them going on another championship run, but it proves that the Bucks are absolutely a contender, even with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks garnering more attention.
Ultimately, the Bucks winning a championship this season would outweigh their NBA Cup title, and that would still leave Lillard without a ring. Nevertheless, as the NBA Cup becomes more established, then the significance of him winning will hopefully improve as well as his place in NBA history.