Kyrie Irving has built a reputation for making outlandish claims and draw attention in interesting ways. But he has also been known to be very forward-thinking. That appears to have been on display again.
Irving offered to pay the $11,492 fine issued to Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for displaying the name of a Palestinian girl on his eye black.
“I’ll take care of his fine,” the Dallas Mavericks star wrote Wednesday on X after learning that Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair had been penalized for an unauthorized eye-black message.
Al-Shaair wrote “Hind Rajab” beneath his eyes during Houston’s 36-31 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills. Rajab was a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed alongside six relatives in Gaza City in January 2024 after their vehicle came under fire from Israeli forces.
The NFL prohibits players from displaying personal messages on game-day equipment without advance approval. The rule applies from warmups through postgame interviews and concerns whether a message was authorized, not the viewpoint it expresses.
It was Al-Shaair’s second fine for using eye black to address the war in Gaza. The NFL docked him $11,593 in January after he displayed “Stop the Genocide” during the Texans’ wild-card victory over the Steelers.
He wore that message again during warmups the following week but removed it after being told he could be prevented from playing. Al-Shaair later described his advocacy as “bigger than me” and said civilian suffering helped place football frustrations in perspective.
Irving’s offer was consistent with his public support for Palestinians. The nine-time NBA All-Star, who embraced Islam in 2021, has highlighted Palestinian children on social media and worn shirts honoring journalists killed in Gaza. He has also observed Ramadan while competing in the NBA.
Al-Shaair used his uniform to ensure Rajab’s name was seen. Irving used his platform — and wallet — to ensure the resulting penalty was shared.
