Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving recently purchased a new house for George Floyd’s family, former NBA star Stephen Jackson revealed on an episode of The Rematch podcast.
Jackson, who is a family friend of the Floyds, was asked by The Rematch host Etan Thomas about how Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, is doing following her father’s death when he revealed how some celebrities, like Irving, have helped the family.
“She’s doing great. We’re doing a great job of keeping her lifted and keeping her spirits high,” Jackson said. “She’s getting so much love—not just from us, but from people all around the world who are showing support.
“A lot of my friends [have helped]. Kyrie Irving bought them a house. Lil Wayne’s manager bought them a Mercedes Benz. Barbra Streisand gave them stock in Disney. I think God has definitely blessed her and she’s doing the best she’s ever done.”
Irving is well-known to be philanthropic, often with his generous deeds being revealed by others after the fact. Earlier this month, the 28-year-old paid tuition for nine graduating seniors at Lincoln University. He committed $1.5 million to WNBA players who opted out of their season last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On his last birthday, Irving donated $323,000 to Feeding America and worked with City Harvest to donate 250,000 meals across the New York area.
Floyd died in police custody last May after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. His death sparked protests against police brutality around the world and calls for a more just and equal society.
The Nets star has been very outspoken about social justice issues, and reportedly led a players-only conference call centred on unity and systemic racism before the NBA resumed the 2019-20 season last summer.
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