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Kyrie Irving Pays NFL Fine for Azeez Al-Shaair’s Tribute to Hind Rajab
By Drooid · · How we work
Irving Covers NFL Fine for Al-Shaair’s Tribute
NBA star Kyrie Irving announced he would pay the $11,941 fine imposed by the National Football League (NFL) on Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. Al-Shaair was penalised for wearing the name of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, on his eye-black during the NFL season. Irving made the offer publicly after the Dallas Mavericks’ opening-night loss to the Houston Rockets.
Background: Hind Rajab and Ongoing NFL Tributes
Hind Rajab was killed on January 29, 2024, when Israeli soldiers opened fire on her family’s stranded car in Gaza. Beginning on September 13, Al-Shaair started his NFL season by displaying Rajab’s name on his eye-black, a tape athletes use to reduce glare. Despite the fine and reports of threats of removal from games, Al-Shaair has continued to honor other Palestinian children, naming them on his equipment each week.
Official Statements from Kyrie Irving
Irving framed his payment as an act of solidarity, emphasizing that many Americans enjoy comforts while tax dollars fund policies they may not support. He described the gesture as part of a broader “revolution” and highlighted the importance of “small instances of revolutionary acts” that give voice to those who lack one. Irving positioned the payment as a personal sacrifice aligned with a larger mission of collective strength and unity.
Data & Statistics
- Fine amount: $11,941 (NFL).
- Date of Hind Rajab’s death: January 29, 2024.
- Date Al-Shaair first wore Rajab’s name: September 13 (2026 season).
Verbatim Quotes
- “Azeez is a friend of mine,” — Kyrie Irving
- “He’s a brother that I consider in this revolution this generation is building. It’s a selfless act when you can show up for others who don’t necessarily have a voice for themselves,” — Kyrie Irving
- “I think we assume that most of us know what’s happening around the world globally,” — Kyrie Irving
- “I think small instances of revolutionary acts like wearing people’s names or wearing a child’s name like Hind Rajab on your face and taking a fine and stepping up to the plate, it just shows how much you’re a selfless person, how much you’re willing to sacrifice,” — Kyrie Irving