Kyrie Irving has been in a giving mood all holiday season. The Brooklyn Nets superstar point guard has once again stepped in to fill a need in the from within the Black community.
Irving donated $50,000 on the GoFundMe page for Jaheim McMillan, a 16-year-old Black boy in Gulfport, Mississippi who was shot and killed by police on Oct. 6. The young man was unarmed and had his hands raised above his head when he was shot..
“The cop left him there and went to check on the other boys who were already handcuffed and, on the ground,” the GoFundMe description, drafted on Oct. 7, reads. “The officer ignored the law and public safety laws which led to Jaheim fighting for his life.”
McMillan eventually died as a result of his injuries later that day on Oct. 7.
The original goal for the page was $70,000 before Irving came and donated $50,000 to put the family $15,000 over the initial goal.
“Thank you, Kyrie Irving, and thank you to those who all have donated,” Mateen posted on Facebook after the donation. #justice4jaheim #15.”
The generous donation is just one of several the public has spotted from Irving in the past two months.
Destiny Thompson, a sophomore at Howard University, created a GoFundMe on Dec. 9 to help her stay at the college.
“As a first-generation student from a family of ten, I have faced many challenges on my journey to higher education,” Thompson’s GoFundMe description read. “As a first-generation college student, it is not uncommon for me to have self-doubt and lack financial and emotional support. Investing in myself is my primary reason for attending college.”
Thompson’s goal was $6,000, and Irving donated $22,000 to get her $18,000 over her initial goal.
“Alright, I’m pretty calm,” Thompson said in a video she uploaded to Facebook, wearing her Walmart employee uniform in the break room. “I was really, like, super, super shaky. I cried just a lot of tears. I’m at work, y’all. I can’t wrap my head around how generous people can be … I never thought in a million years anyone would give me anything, and I’m super grateful. I want to say thank you a thousand times for blessing me like this, Mr. Kyrie Irving. I’m in shock still. I’m at work, wiping down registers and deep cleaning for them.”
In November, Irving donated $115,000 to the families of Shanquella Robinson and Devin Chandler. Robinson, a hairstylist from Charlotte, North Carolina, died while on vacation with a group of friends in Mexico in October. While authorities initially said Robinson died of alcohol poisoning, an autopsy revealed she suffered a severe spinal cord injury. An alleged video of Robinson getting into a fight with a friend on the vacation also surfaced.
In November, Devin Chandler, a University of Virginia football player, was shot and killed while he slept by former Virginia football player Christopher Jones.
The donations from Irving come in the wake of the star being accused of promoting antisemitism, which led to the Nets suspending him and ultimately losing his endorsement deal with Nike. On the court, Irving appears to have gotten his rhythm back after returning from his suspension, and he even hit a game-winning shot against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 16.
Coldest game winner thus far in the NBA. KYRIE IRVING❗️ pic.twitter.com/AT6jmjf86H
— Vada Fly (@Vada_Fly) December 17, 2022
