The new NBA In-Season Tournament is getting a theme song courtesy of LL Cool J and The Roots. The song is a combination of Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" and The Roots' "Here I Come" and will play during the special broadcasts for the tournament that will run through this month and next month. "I’ve been a fan of the NBA ever since I can remember, and it’s a real honor to have my record serving as the anthem for this monumental moment. I’m excited to see the energy of the song translate to the play on the court during the NBA In-Season Tournament," Cool J said in a statement.
Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that head coaches will receive bonuses based on their performance in the tournament. According to ESPN, the winning coach will receive $500,000, the same as their players. The runner-up coach will get $250,000, semifinalists will get $100,000 and quarterfinalists will get $50,000. The tournament begins this weekend, with the Knicks facing the Bucks and the Mavericks taking on the Nuggets.
Victor Wembanyama Continues To Grow In NBA
Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 38 points in the fifth game of his rookie season as the Spurs improved to 3-2 at the expense of the Suns. It was the second time this week that San Antonio has gotten the better of Phoenix. 10 of Wembanyama's points came in the final 4:15 of the game, outscoring the entire Suns roster over that same period. Furthermore, the game marked Wembanyama's second NBA double-double as he also notched 10 rebounds in the 132-121 win. Additionally, the French rookie knew exactly what to say when asked if he felt he was a clutch player. "It's a requirement if we're being ambitious," he told reporters.
However, Wemby also showed some astute insight as he mulled the win. "Every game is different. We got our third win. Every game we try to find the spots that we need to hurt them. Today, it might have been in this way. Tomorrow, it will be someone else. That is how great teams work. If we want to be great, we need to play with everyone," he explained. His performance comes in as the third-best performance by a rookie in history. David Robinson holds the top two spots, with 40 and 39-point performances in his 1990 rookie season.
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