Kyle Kuzma believes the biggest financial challenge facing many professional athletes is not taxes or agent fees but the expensive lifestyles they choose to maintain.
The Milwaukee Bucks forward shared that opinion Wednesday on X, pushing back against a common complaint from athletes about how much of their salaries disappear after deductions.
“Ngl it’s exhausting hearing athletes break down how their millions ‘aren’t really millions’ after taxes and fees. 40M after taxes is still 40M. The real issue isn’t the system, it’s lifestyle creep. Nobody told you to live like a king, buy 5 cars, or move with a 10-person entourage. Modest is allowed,” Kuzma wrote.
Kuzma has earned more than $107.8 million during his NBA career and is set to make $19 million during the 2026-27 season. Rather than criticizing the tax system, Kuzma argued that financial decisions and spending habits are what ultimately determine long-term wealth.
The 30-year-old forward acknowledged the concept of “lifestyle creep,” a financial term describing how spending tends to rise alongside income. His message suggested that many athletes could avoid financial problems by resisting the pressure to match their growing salaries with increasingly expensive homes, luxury cars and large entourages.
Kuzma’s perspective reflects a noticeable shift from the image he cultivated early in his NBA career. After entering the league as the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he became known as much for his bold fashion choices as for his scoring ability. In recent years, however, he has spoken publicly about focusing more on business ventures and investing while building wealth beyond basketball.
On the court, Kuzma has established himself as a reliable NBA veteran across nine seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks. He owns career averages of 16.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 610 games while shooting 45.3% from the field.
His best statistical stretch came with Washington, where he averaged 21.2 points in 2022-23 and a career-high 22.2 points in 2023-24 while adding 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Last season with Milwaukee, Kuzma accepted a reduced offensive role on a contending team, averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting a career-best 49.2% from the field.
