Kevin Durant hilariously shuts down Kyrie Irving’s cash grab during NBA All-Star Game

Irving grabbed a few George Washington's during the Mr. Beast competition but Durant quickly retrieved them.
Jan 26, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) and forward Kevin Durant (7) react after being announced as 2013 all stars during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jan 26, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) and forward Kevin Durant (7) react after being announced as 2013 all stars during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The NBA All-Star Game provided plenty of entertainment over the weekend as top players from around the league came together to put on a show in Oakland.

The Dallas Mavericks had one representative taking part in the action as Kyrie Irving earned his ninth all-star appearance, coincidentally stepping in as the replacement for Anthony Davis, who was injured during his debut with the franchise after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers for Luka Doncic.

Irving put his dazzling ball-handling skills on display, nearly breaking Victor Wembanyana's ankles while putting up 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals over two games as Team Shaq took home the championship. As fun as it was to watch Irving on the court, he brought just as much humor to the constant breaks between the action for commercials, ceremonies, and a shooting contest.

Kyrie Irving
Feb 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs guard Kyrie Irving (11) of the Dallas Mavericks shoots against Chuck’s Global Stars forward Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Prior to one of the three showcase games, YouTube and internet personality Mr. Beast held a three-point contest between Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard and a fan from the crowd for $100K. The rules of the competition were for the fan to hit one shot before Lillard made three. He delivered in buzzer-beating fashion with Mr. Beast threatening to go to a break.

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The surreal moment resulted in an uproar from the crowd as Shaq and a boatload of mascots rushed in to lift the fan to his feet. In the middle of the chaos, Irving sneaked in and grabbed a few George Washington's from the massive pile of cash.

Kyrie Irving
Feb 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs guard Kyrie Irving (11) of the Dallas Mavericks shoots against Chuck’s Global Stars guard Trae Young (11) of the Atlanta Hawks during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw-Pool Photo via Imagn Images / Ezra Shaw-Pool Photo via Imagn I

Irving went over to show off his prize to Clippers star and former teammate, James Harden, drawing a laugh from Stephen Curry in the process. Another one of Irving's former teammates and his good friend, Kevin Durant, quickly. recognized what was going on.

Durant took the money back from Iving and tossed it back into the bin, resulting in a pretty hilarious moment. At the least fan won't have to worry about a couple of dollars missing when he gets the tax bill.

Durant and Irving were close when they suited up with the Brooklyn Nets a few years ago. The pairing had a lot of hype but didn't end up working out how the Nets envisioned considering the cost to put the two together along with Harden.

Obviously, the pair of stars have both been traded since playing alongside one another in Brooklyn. They'll get at least one more crack at each other on the court this season when Dallas hosts Phoenix on Sunday, March 9.


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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined BucsGameday when it was founded in 2022. He's also the Editor-In-Chief of NoleGameday. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis has worked for NG since 2016.