Analyst makes his feelings abundantly clear on LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, chooses harsh words for NBA Cup critics

Many have been critical of the recently concluded NBA Cup, pointing to its lack of fan buzz and all-around significance. However, according to The Volume's Jason Timpf, the in-season tournament's first two champions are a testament to its success.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the OKC Thunder 97-81 on Tuesday to secure the second NBA Cup, with Antetokounmpo winning the tournament's MVP. That came a year after LeBron James' LA Lakers won the inaugural event, with James taking home MVP.

Antetokounmpo and James are two of the league's highest-profile superstars. Nevertheless, many feel that a lack of fan excitement, combined with some teams and players being indifferent to the NBA Cup, has made it inconsequential.

On Wednesday, Timpf pushed back against that mentality, underscoring that two proven NBA champions carried their squads to the tournament's apex.

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"I continue to think it's (a) loser mentality to hate or downplay the Cup," Timpf wrote. "The first two MVPs are LeBron and Giannis. Winners. Winners try to win everything."

Antetokounmpo and James have a combined five titles and five NBA Finals MVPs. Meanwhile, upstart teams like the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks and OKC, with less acclaimed stars, fell short on the NBA Cup's biggest stage this year. So, the league seemingly got its ideal victor again from its crop of semifinalists.

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Adam Silver is considering moving culmination of NBA Cup out of Las Vegas to bolster fan interest

One potential remedy to give the NBA Cup a more playoff-like atmosphere is having teams host the semifinals and finals on their home courts. This year's decisive single-elimination contests were again hosted in Las Vegas, with many noticing considerable empty seats and a lack of fan energy.

On Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver touched on the issue, noting that he is open to a venue change.

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"There has been some interest expressed by teams in playing in the home markets," Silver said. "It's complicated enough scheduling a neutral site. I'm not against playing in our markets."

Such an adjustment would make it easier for local fans to support their home teams instead of traveling to Las Vegas in the middle of December. However, it's unclear if a more spirited environment would be enough to drum up increased general fan excitement about the tournament's latter stages.

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