Kyrie Irving Says Announcing NBA Salaries 'Put a Target' on Players' Backs

Kyrie Irving is questioning why pro athletes’ paychecks are so easily accessible — and whether that visibility puts them at risk.

During a recent Twitch stream, the Dallas Mavericks guard said publicizing contracts can have “real-life consequences,” adding, “I wonder how much that puts a target on someone’s life.”

Irving also pointed out that while people may know what Fortune 500 CEOs make, sports fans can access far more granular details about athletes’ deals — from pay scales to bonuses and contract escalators.

“When it comes to sports, you know exactly the pay scale and the details of it,” he said, noting that those figures are then discussed without much thought to what that means for players off the court. There isn’t a single official transaction wire that publishes every dollar, but media reports, collective bargaining agreement language, and salary-cap rules make the numbers discoverable.

The transparency hits close to home. Irving signed a three-year, $118.5 million contract with Dallas on July 7 and has inked $429.6 million in NBA deals over his 14-year career.

“If you know exactly what I’m making, there’s an awkwardness to that where I’m existing within our same society,” he said, before concluding, “Sometimes it can get a little intrusive.”

The broader concern is safety. Irving appeared to reference instances where high-profile players have been targeted in robberies or scams, as several NBA names — including Luka Dončić, Mike Conley, DeMar DeRozan, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — have reported home burglaries in recent years.

Other athletes are split on the issue. Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves told MarketWatch last year that public knowledge of his salary can be uncomfortable: “You definitely get some comments,” he said, adding that even after signing a $53.8 million deal in 2023, he remains frugal.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf was less concerned, saying he hadn’t really thought about it and relies on trusted people around him: “Everybody doesn’t get to touch my money — only the people that I bless.”