LeBron James promised the Los Angeles Lakers’ three two-way players that he would win them money at the NBA In-Season Tournament.
The Lakers won the In-Season Tournament against the Indiana Pacers. LA’s full-time players won $500,000 each, while the three two-way players won $250,000.
The Lakers’ three two-way players are Alex Fudge, D’Moi Hodge and Colin Castleton.
“I knew LeBron was going to do it. He told me before the game and said, ‘This is for you Fudge. This is for you for D’Moi. This is for everybody,” Fudge told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I trusted him and now we’re here. Just knowing that he is thinking about us is a blessing. Not too many people are like that. That just says who LeBron is.”
Added Hodge: “He told the rookies, ‘I got y’all. Don’t even worry about it.’”
LeBron was named the MVP of the In-Season Tournament. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer averaged 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 56.8% from the floor and 60.6% from beyond the arc.
“I don’t think it’s even about the MVP. It’s about us coming together to win this thing,” LeBron told ESPN’s Malika Andrews during the trophy ceremony in Las Vegas. “This is the [first] in-season tournament. … Records will be broken, but one thing that will never be broken is to be the first to do something. And we’re the first champions of the in-season tournament, and nobody can ever top that, and it’s great to do it with a historical franchise and just a great cast of funny, engaged, competitive men over here.”
LeBron and Anthony Davis were named to the In-Season All-Tournament Team. The Lakers will hang a banner at Crypto.com Arena to recognize winning the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament on December 18.