Jose Alvarado Will Give $500K to Daughters if Pelicans Win NBA In-Season Tournament

The $500,000 prize awarded to each player on the winning team of the NBA's In-Season Tournament has been a source of motivation for many.

However, New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado's motivation is slightly different, as he said he plans to put the money aside for his three daughters if the team manages to become the inaugural winner.

"I will not touch the money," Alvarado told Andscape's Marc J. Spears. "My financial team will act like I never made it. It's not for me. It's not in my hands. I'm living my life. They got to live their lives and I don't want them to struggle at all. This is the first time I'm telling everybody. I just know what I want to do."

Alvarado went on to add that thanks to his financial stability, he doesn't feel the need to hold onto the prize money for himself. He's in the third year of a four-year, $6.8 million contract with the Pelicans and he sounds satisfied with his earnings so far.

"I ain't struggling now. I'm blessed to be financially good," he said. "So why do I need to add that extra load? Let that grow and let them have it. I ain't going to see it. I promise. I ain't going to touch it. It's a great opportunity to do that. A lot of people aren't that fortunate, but I am. I just want this game to keep me blessed and I don't want my kids to worry about nothing."

The Pelicans defeated the Sacramento Kings 127-117 on Monday night to earn a spot in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament. They will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night in Las Vegas. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday.

Each player on the winning team will be awarded $500,000, while second place garners $200,000. The players already received an extra $100,000 for making the semifinals.

"I need all that. I need every penny I can count on," Alvarado said. "The money is great, that's why you want to keep winning. We want to keep going higher and higher. So, we big on that. Everybody is big on that. Everybody wants to win the game because we love the game. But that's a big part at the end of the day."

Alvarado, who is a solid contributor off the bench known for his defensive prowess, said the Pelicans are embracing the opportunity to chase a title, even if it isn't the actual NBA championship.

"We're excited. We don't know what is going to happen next," Alvarado said. "We got to get excited again. It's one of those [unique] feelings, but we have to keep winning."