NBA Star Convinces Team to Give Playoff Bonuses to Staff

'They spend as much time away from their families as we do'
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted May 6, 2017 5:27 PM CDT
NBA Star Convinces Team to Give Playoff Bonuses to Staff
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard convinced his teammates to give their playoff bonus to the team's support staff.   (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)

An NBA star is getting kudos today for convincing his teammates to give their playoff bonuses to the trainers, massage therapists, and others who make their lives easier during the season. NBC Sports reports NBA players don't collect a regular salary during the playoffs, instead receiving bonuses that get bigger the further they go. Unfortunately for the Portland Trail Blazers, they were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the first round this season. According to CSNNW, that still entitled the team to a $223,864 bonus—or about $16,000 per player.

After getting bounced from the playoffs, Blazers star Damian Lillard went from teammate to teammate to convince them all to donate their share of the bonus to the team's support staff. The money ended up being divided between 25 staff members. "They spend as much time away from their families as we do, and they are just about as invested as we are," Lillard says. CBS Sports reports that money could mean a lot to the support staff: "It could help them pay off their student loans, or buy a car, or take care of rent for a few months." (More NBA stories.)

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