Milwaukee Bucks veteran forward Kyle Kuzma isn’t buying into the notion that taxes on athletes’ contracts make them unable to earn a proper living
Kuzma took to social media to call the recent hubbub surrounding athletes’ contracts “exhausting” and went on to point out, “Nobody told you to live like a king, buy [five] cars, or move with a 10‑person entourage.”
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Kuzma’s comments were prompted by recent viral videos in which multiple athletes broke down their living expenses to explain why they’re not making as much money as it seems. New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said during an appearance on The Pivot that a $100 million contract really only nets $8 million annually due to living wages
Atlanta Hawks veteran guard CJ McCollum also said in a recent Forbes interview that his first NBA contract was cut in half by taxes and dwindled even further by other fees, forcing him to rely on his endorsement deals to get by
“I was living off an energy drink deal, I had a $12,000 deal just to get some posts off, and I lived off of that,” he said
After being called out by former NBA star David West, McCollum said he was asked to explain how he spent his first million
Still, as Kuzma pointed out, lifestyle changes would surely help athletes’ salaries become more sustainable, even after taxes. The rest of the public faces the same challenges to make a living, so the issues being raised are not uncommon. It’s up to the athletes to be more responsible with their money rather than complain that having millions of dollars isn’t enough to support themselves
