The True Kyrie Irving Legacy

SPORTS The True Kyrie Irving Legacy

The NBA star confirmed his commitment to Islam earlier this year and continues to make an even greater impact off the basketball court.

BY HABEEBA HUSAIN

In his 10 years as a professional basketball player, Kyrie Irving has built up quite the resume.

Both NBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist in 2014, seven-time NBA All-Star and Rookie of the Year in 2011 are just a few of the accolades that come to mind. At the end of this most recent regular season, the Brooklyn Net became only the ninth player in history to join the esteemed 50-40-90 club, a strong nod to his efficiency on the court. He shot 50.6% from the field, 40.2% from the three-point arc and 92.2% from the free-throw line. He’s just the fourth player to do so while averaging over 25 points per game, joining his teammate Kevin Durant, three-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry, and the legendary Larry Bird. As this edition was going to press, the New York Times reported: Michigan-based Paani Project teamed up with Irving’s KAI Family Foundation to provide water and electric power to individuals in one of Pakistan’s most unprivileged locations called Rohal.

It’s safe to say that the man is an elite player. On the court, all eyes are on him. Off the court, he still demands attention — though he may not like it.

Last year, Irving donated $1.5 million to those Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players who opted out of their season due to the coronavirus and social justice issues. In January, news broke that he bought a house for George Floyd’s family. In May, he launched a consulting firm for minority-owned businesses. The list quietly grows as the media becomes privy to Irving’s impactful moves away from the basketball arena.

In a post-game press conference that I shamelessly played on repeat when it first dropped in April, Irving confirmed his commitment to Islam. His tweets praising Allah had made their rounds weeks prior on Twitter, but the speculation remained. The tweets came from the mystery man himself, after all.

But the speculation was put to rest when Irving began answering a question about fasting with, “All praise is due to God, Allah, for this.” He continued about “being a part of the Muslim community” and “being committed to Islam” before he confirmed, “I am taking part in Ramadan with a lot of my Muslim brothers and sisters. … It’s just being committed to my service to God, Allah, and then continuing on with whatever I’m guided with. I’m just happy to be part of my community and doing the right things … really blessed and grateful to be taking part in this.”

For the remainder of Ramadan, Irving was quite mum when it came to his beliefs. He let his game do the talking, per usual. Soon after that presser, he dropped 35 points, 12 assists and 6 boards in 34 minutes in an afternoon game (read: while fasting the entire time). “Ramadan Kyrie,” as Muslim fans dubbed him, had arrived.

When I pitched a story about NBA players fasting

during Ramadan for a basketball magazine, I really wanted to include a conversation with the Nets’ star. An editor told me Irving was infamous for refusing to talk to the media. A polite rejection of my request from the star’s agent followed by a $35,000 fine for violating media access rules given to both him and his team from the NBA confirmed this. Critics scolded Irving to do his job and talk to the media.

Oh boy, did he.

As the news broke from Palestine regarding the Israeli

entertainment over Palestinian lives. “Kyrie Irving Says He Doesn’t Care About Basketball as Nets Eye Championship” or “Is Kyrie Irving Losing Focus? Why Nets Fans Should be Concerned.” Irving continued, “We all say we’re human beings and we care, and we’re compassionate, but what are you doing to help? My goal out here, my purpose, is to help humanity, and I can’t sit here and not address that. If you’re a human being, you’ll support the antiwar effort that’s going on. There’s a lot of people losing their lives, children, a lot of babies, and that’s just what I focus on. So if you guys want to ask me questions about the game, I really don’t care about it except just everybody leaving out the game healthy and going home to their families.” ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith responded to Irving’s presser by posing a number of rhetorical questions to the Nets’ star, imply I’M NOT GONNA LIE TO YOU GUYS. A LOT OF STUFF IS ing that of course everyone cares about the suffering people around the world. But

GOING ON IN THIS WORLD, AND BASKETBALL IS JUST NOT um, news flash? No, they certainly do not.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME RIGHT NOW,” IRVING Right-wing Israelis have said themselves

SAID DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE PRIOR TO THE that Palestinian children dying is a necessity. You don’t even have to look overseas to

PLAYOFFS. “THERE’S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON IN THE see this kind of sentiment. The U.S. funds

WORLD FOR ME TO JUST BE TALKING ABOUT BASKETBALL. Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians. In the IT’S SAD. IT’S NOT JUST IN PALESTINE, AND IT’S NOT JUST IN ISRAEL. IT’S ALL OVER THE WORLD.” midst of all the violence, news broke that in early May President Joe Biden approved a $735-million weapons sale to Israel. While this specific sale’s approval came before the escalation of violence during Ramadan, military’s attacks on innocent worshippers at Masjid Palestinians have suffered for decades at the hands of Israel thanks to the U.S.’s al-Aqsa during Ramadan and then subsequent mur- nearly $4 billion of military aid coming in yearly. ders of civilians including women, children and babies, That makes it quite clear the Biden administration doesn’t care about the Palestinian Kyrie Irving did anything but remain quiet. babies under the rubble. He may have told Palestinian American Congresswoman

His over 14 million followers on Instagram took Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., he hopes her family in Gaza is safe, but actions speak louder note of his stories that shared photos of the atroci- than words, Mr. President. Kyrie Irving could have taught you that. ties in the illegally occupied territory. But the New Needless to say, I applaud and deeply appreciate Irving’s appropriate use of Jersey native didn’t stop there. As The Nation’s Dave his mega platform to raise awareness on issues bigger than basketball. I hope Zirin writes, “Several players have posted messages more people follow his lead. His performance on the court hasn’t been negatively of solidarity with the Palestinian people, but none affected in the slightest, whether he was fasting for Ramadan or concerned about have taken the time, as Irving did, to put basketball his brothers and sisters around the world. Why does it bother everyone else so in its proper place.” much? You’d really rather hear the boring, cliché answers typical of post-game

As the regular season came to an end, Irving’s interviews instead? Nets were a favorite to go all the way in the Playoffs. I have no doubt that Irving’s head is in the game when his kicks are on the Even with the postseason around the corner, Irving court. But after he hangs up his jersey, I’m sure he’d prefer people to think could not get himself to answer the media’s questions about the questions he posed to the media in that previous presser rather than about basketball. his stat line.

“I’m not gonna lie to you guys. A lot of stuff is going “When you’re conscious of what’s going on in the world, and you feel it, what on in this world, and basketball is just not the most are you going to do about it?” Irving asked. “Are you going to write about it? Are important thing to me right now,” Irving said during a you going to tweet about it? Are you going to be out there with them? Are you press conference prior to the Playoffs. “There’s just too going to protest? Are you going to plan and strategize what we can do better as much going on in the world for me to just be talking a community that stands with unity and liberation?” about basketball. It’s sad. It’s not just in Palestine, and Out of his long list of achievements as a professional basketball player, Kyrie it’s not just in Israel. It’s all over the world.” Irving’s true legacy lies in his spectacular and jaw-dropping moves off the court. ih Upon hearing “basketball is just not the most important thing,” I pictured the headlines I’d see Habeeba Husain is a freelance journalist based in the New York tri-state area. She helps manage Muslim-run businesses WuduGear and Kamani. Her work has appeared in SLAM Magazine, WhyIslam.org and Narrative.ly, among other online next, those that would place importance on American and print publications.