Did Kyrie Irving take money from Mr Beast’s $100k prize? Full video reveals truth
After Damian Lillard's $100k shooting challenge by Mr Beast at the All-Star Game, Kyrie Irving was apparently seen digging around.
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Kyrie Irving was seen digging into Mr Beast's $100k prize pool
Kyrie Irving is always a joy to watch at the All-Star game. He is one of the league’s premier entertainers, and this year, he was no less. However, this time, the Dallas Mavericks star found himself at the center of some questionable social media speculation after a video surfaced from NBA All-Star Weekend showcasing him taking some liberty with Mr Beast’s $100k prize pool.
The moment happened during a mid-game contest hosted by YouTube star MrBeast. 18-year-old East Bay college student Jaren Barajas was given a chance to win $100k by making a half-court shot before Damian Lillard could sink three logo-range threes. Surprisingly, he made the shot at the buzzer. But amidst the celebration, Irving was caught on camera reaching into the money pile, pulling out a few bills, and seemingly keeping them.
Bro went home with $99,993 instead of 100k 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/VSwRLFidm3
— 𝙎𝙏𝙐𝙉𝙉𝘼!🌟 (@realdealstunnna) February 17, 2025
Naturally, social media exploded, with the clip already garnering over 75k likes on X after a user posted it. But the full video tells a different story. While the optics made it seem like Irving was helping himself to a little extra cash, the reality is much less dramatic.
Most contests featuring prize money on live television, including MrBeast’s famous giveaways, use ‘show money’ for display purposes. The physical bills are often props, while the actual prize is handed out later via check or bank transfer.
Additionally, a longer clip of the moment surfaced online, showing Kevin Durant playfully snatching the cash from Irving’s hand and tossing it back into the pile. What initially looked like a pretty questionable move by Kyrie Irving turned out to be nothing more than the Mavericks star playing around a little, trying to flex with the money in front of the camera as a joke.
Kyrie Irving dishes on potential for All-Star 1v1 Tournament
Kyrie Irving has always been one of the best ambassadors for the game, always trying to push the game forward one way or another. After the lackluster All-Star game, the Mavericks star had an interesting take on how to improve the All-Star Weekend experience. Irving was asked about another potential change, adding a 1-on-1 tournament to All-Star Weekend, and he was all for it.
I’m open to it. Yeah, when there’s smoke, there’s fire. That’s been that fire with 1-on-1.
Kyrie Irving told Fox Sports’ Rachel Nichols postgame
Kyrie Irving told me he’s *IN* for a 1-on-1 tourney at All-Star weekend; he said the key to getting players to participate is to change the way we talk about it: pic.twitter.com/s1HrmxkiLU
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 16, 2025
Nichols noted that some NBA players might be hesitant to participate, fearing embarrassment if they lose in a head-to-head matchup. But Irving pushed back on that assumption. His primary concern was mostly about the media talking points that would surround a potential 1v1 tournament, which is generally the primary concern for most players when considering the possibility of such an event as well.
After many of the premier events at the NBA All-Star game, like the Dunk Contest and the three-point shootout, failed to entertain most, the NBA has to consider a number of different methods to make the All-Star game more attractive. Hosting a 1v1 tournament between some of the top players in the league has often been suggested as an ideal alternative. While no inroads have been made yet on that front, Irving remains in favor of the possibility of such a tournament.
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Armaan Gupta
(454 Articles Published)