Kyrie Irving has become one of the most popular athletes in the world thanks to his incredible basketball talent. But it’s the nine-time All-Star’s generosity that has truly won over sports fans. His philanthropy spans education, social justice, disaster relief, and often simply helping individuals in need, sometimes just because they asked. And many of these acts don’t even make the headlines.
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Irving’s reputation among NBA fans hasn’t always been the strongest. During the 2021–22 season, he drew heavy criticism for his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine, as he refused to get vaccinated simply because the league made it mandatory for players.
He also rubbed some fans the wrong way during his stints with the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets—two teams he publicly committed to for the long haul before leaving shortly after. But since he arrived in Dallas in 2023, along with his continued generosity, it seems the basketball world has done a complete 180 in how they view him. And rightly so.
When a fan named Mike Cassidy reached out to Irving on Instagram for help purchasing a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, the Mavs star, of course, came through. Although the request was made on Instagram, Cassidy later revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that the 2016 NBA champion donated $11,000 toward his GoFundMe goal.
But why $11,000?
It ties back to a little-known fact about Irving and his deep obsession with the number 11. In 2023, Courtside Buzzig shared an Instagram post highlighting some of these eerie connections. Irving wears No. 11 because his father wore it in college. He was born at 1:11, played just 11 games at Duke, was drafted No. 1 in Round 1 of the 2011 draft—and the list of strange patterns doesn’t stop there.
The name “Kyrie Irving” has 11 letters, the first letter of his name, K, is the 11th letter of the alphabet, and he even scored his 11,000th NBA point in the 11th month of the year.
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Irving’s latest donation adds to a long list of generous acts he’s made over the years. It also reflects something he once told the NBA media about keeping life in perspective. After quoting Knicks star Josh Hart, he shared that setting an example for the next generation matters just as much to him as his competitive spirit.
“It’s just understanding that the next generation is watching and I want them to have this game to appreciate as an art space and not just business, business, business,” the now 33-year-old baller said at the time.
It’s a shame that Irving’s 2024–25 season ended with a torn ACL. The Mavericks sorely missed him during their Play-In Tournament game against the Memphis Grizzlies and likely would have secured a playoff spot with both him and Anthony Davis on the court. But despite the setback, the injury hasn’t stopped Irving from continuing to be the remarkable individual he strives to be.
