“Just trying to do my part with service.”
Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving insists he does not want a fuss made about him buying a house for the family of the late George Floyd.
Floyd died in June 2020 after a Minneapolis police officer restrained him then knelt on his neck for almost eight minutes. Floyd’s tragic death sparked an outpouring of grief and anger across the United States of America and led to a series of Black Lives Matter marches and protests.
Floyd left behind a seven-year-old daughter, Gianna, as well as a bereaved family and a community facing up to more heavy-handed treatment from their local police force.
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson was a close friend of Floyd’s and has been keeping close contact with his family since the incident occurred. On an episode of The Rematch podcast, Jackson told host Etan Thomas about the support Gianna and her family have been receiving.
Kyrie Irving in action for the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)“Kyrie Irving bought them a house. Lil Wayne’s manager bought them a Mercedes-Benz. Barbra Streisand gave them stock in Disney, so I think God has definitely blessed her and right now she’s she’s doing the best she’s ever done, she’s happy.”
“Kyrie wanted to help George’s family,” Jackson added, “and I let him know that a house was what they needed at that time and he made it happen in a heartbeat.”
Irving, who has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and has campaigned for great social justice in the USA, was asked about the gesture during a media availability session with The Nets on Tuesday. He commented:
“I just want to keep continuing to fulfil our purpose in serving a lot of the underserved communities. Those don’t necessarily get the same attention from just others around. So just trying to do my part with service, that’s all.”
Irving, who won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was recently stood down from active duty and he cited ‘a lot of family and personal stuff’ as the reason for his absence.
He apologised to the Nets fans for his time out and said he was ‘happy to be back’. He will line up with superstars Kevin Durant and the newly signed James Harden in the coming days and weeks.
