Nigerian-Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo went 31-18-10 on opening night, while the defending champion Knicks stumbled against the 76ers.
The NBA Cup is back, and one of the diaspora's biggest stars made sure everyone noticed. Giannis Antetokounmpo, born in Greece to Nigerian parents and proud of both heritages, posted a monster triple-double of 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in a 145-125 win for Miami over Indiana. Another night, another reminder of how deeply African roots run through the modern NBA.
The bigger shock came in New York. The Knicks, the reigning Cup champions, opened their title defense with a 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Defending the trophy was never going to be easy, but dropping the first game puts early pressure on the group-stage race.
This is the fourth edition of the in-season tournament, and all 30 teams are involved. They are split into six groups of five, and each team plays four group games. The six group winners move straight to the knockouts, joined by the two best second-place teams, one from each conference. Every game counts.
There is real money on the line too. Each player on the winning roster takes home $514,971, so this is far more than a banner chase. Stephen Curry also made noise on opening night with a comeback spark for Golden State. With the favorite already wobbling, the race for the Cup looks wide open.
