Kyrie Irving Rumored To Have Donated $323,000 To Feeding America In Honor of Kobe Bryant

The NBA has faced a slew of difficulties since the start of 2020. The passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers aboard a helicopter in California struck the league, and fans and players have been in mourning for nearly two months. Now, the NBA struggles to stay afloat due to the dangers of coronavirus. Kyrie Irving is helping the cause and using his platform by donating to Feeding America during this trying time. 

The amount he donated, $323,000 was in honor of Kobe Bryant's no. 8 jersey (3 + 2 + 3). He made the donation on his 28th birthday, and Lineage Linguistics is also matching the number up to $200,000.

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Thank you all for the birthday love, I’m extremely grateful for the support. Seeing the effects of COVID-19 reach our loved ones, our schools, our jobs, and access to food has really impacted me. I am excited to partner with @feedingamerica and @lineagelogistics to launch the Share A Meal campaign to help marginalized communities get the food resources they require during this time, and to work with our local partner @cityharvestnyc to distribute 250k meals to my neighbors in need across the NY area. In addition to that I am donating $323k to Feeding America and @lineagelogistics will match $200k of what we raise together.  I am asking my fans, friends, family and partners to join me in helping our communities by donating at the link in my bio. Thank you to everyone on the front line working to keep all of us safe, healthy, and fed. Together we can change the world one small gesture at a time.

A post shared by @ kyrieirving on Mar 23, 2020 at 11:15am PDT

While the donation itself is incredibly generous, it's also poignant of Irving to use his platform to continue to honor Bryant. Irving isn't the first player to do so, and he certainly won't be the last, especially with the lull in the season. With a lack of games, players are finding new ways to engage with fans and keep the spirit of the sport alive, and Irving is doing a great job of continuing to support people in need.