LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving bought a house for the family of George Floyd, the African American man killed by police in Minnesota last year, former NBA player Stephen Jackson has said.
Jackson, a friend of Floyd who was speaking on the ”The Rematch” podcast with former NBA player Etan Thomas, said he had continued to try to support the family emotionally and practically and noted others who had done the same.
”Kyrie Irving bought them a house,” Jackson said. ”Lil Wayne’s manager bought them a Mercedes-Benz. Barbra Streisand gave them stock in Disney.”
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with murder in the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old who was killed on May 25 when Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes as Floyd said he could not breathe.
The killing sparked protests and unrest around the United States.
While the NBA backed players’ desire to advocate for social justice causes, Irving indicated last year he thought resuming play that had been halted by the coronavirus pandemic would distract from the fight against systemic racism.
Irving, who was injured when the NBA resumed play in the Orlando quarantine bubble last year, has been active off the court on social and racial justice issues.
In July he committed $1.5 million to supplement the income of WNBA players who chose not to play the 2020 season in their bubble, whether because of coronavirus concerns or to devote themselves to social justice causes.
The 28-year-old returned to action this season, but has missed seven straight games for what the team described as ”personal reasons” and because of an NBA-mandated quarantine after he was seen in an online video at a family gathering without a mask.
