Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has spoken publicly about his decision to pay a fine imposed on American football player Azeez Al-Shaair. The NFL penalised Al-Shaair in September for wearing the name of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Irving addressed reporters late on Wednesday, after the Mavericks lost their opening night match to the Houston Rockets 128-110. “Azeez is a friend of mine,” he said. Irving described Al-Shaair as a brother he considered part of a generation-defining movement, adding that it was a selfless act to speak up for people who do not have a voice of their own.
Irving defends paying Al-Shaair’s NFL fine
Irving, who has been outspoken in his support for Palestine, said most people understand what is happening around the world. He pointed to the number of innocent people who have died, particularly children. He also questioned why people in the United States enjoy comfortable lives while tax money is spent on things they may not support, arguing that people must then stand up.
Irving said small acts of protest, such as wearing a child’s name and accepting a fine to do so, showed how willing someone was to sacrifice. He added that the cause was bigger than himself and Al-Shaair, and that its strength lay in solidarity and unity.
Irving first responded on social media after an NFL reporter announced the fine of $11,941 on X. He said he would “take care” of it.
Al-Shaair continues tributes despite penalty
Al-Shaair, who is Black and Muslim, has used his social media accounts and his eyeblack, a tape worn by athletes to reduce glare, to draw attention to the killing of Palestinians during the three-year war in Gaza. He began the current NFL season by wearing Rajab’s name on September 13. Rajab was five years old when she was killed on January 29, 2024, after Israeli soldiers opened fire on her family’s car as they were stranded in it.
Al-Shaair was reportedly threatened with removal from games after being fined, but he has not backed down. When asked about the penalty, he dismissed the money as irrelevant. “It’s bigger to me; what’s a life worth? Is a life worth $11,000? No, I think it’s priceless,” he said.
A weekly run of names honouring Palestinian children
Al-Shaair has continued to honour slain children by wearing one name, or a combination of names, every Sunday. For a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he wore the name of Wafa Akila, an eight-year-old who was killed along with her father in an Israeli attack in western Gaza as they were heading home.
In Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts, his eyeblack carried the names of sisters Lana and Bana Ahmad. The girls, aged 12 and eight, were killed with their family in an Israeli air attack in September. Earlier, the Houston Texans linebacker had worn the name of Amal Abu Khater, 10, who died from gunshot wounds after Israeli forces fired on her in Khan Younis in August.
His most recent tribute was to Maryam Ghanem, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl who was killed in Gaza. According to the report, she was forced to watch her mother burn alive after an Israeli strike hit their home in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City earlier this month.
