Following in Shaquille O’Neal’s Footsteps, Kyrie Irving Gives Back to New Jersey by Working With Young Hoopers

Akash Murty | 07/06/2023
Following in Shaquille O’Neal’s Footsteps, Kyrie Irving Gives Back to New Jersey by Working With Young Hoopers

Australia-born Kyrie Irving grew up in New Jersey and attended Montclair Kimberley and St. Patrick high school during his developmental years. So, much like Shaquille O’Neal, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, and also has his roots in the state. On his Instagram stories, the former Nets guard can be seen playing with the youth of New Jersey, showing them the fundamentals of the game.

Irving is now an unrestricted free agent after making the move away from the Brooklyn Nets during the trade deadline in February. But following a forgettable ending to the season for both him and the Mavs, the point guard is looking to keep getting better every day. And while doing that, he is also giving the upcoming generation to learn from him.

Kyrie Irving gives back to New Jersey by working with young hoopers

Over the years, Shaquille O’Neal has done plenty of things to give back to Newark. You might remember him gifting his hometown kids multiple refurbished basketball courts with his “Comebaq Courts” project. He has also developed Boys and Girls clubs in the city.

Shaq has massively helped in the growth of youth in the city and hence the state. On a similar path, Kyrie Irving is teaching the New Jersey kids some basketball lessons, which help them make it to the NBA one day. He shared the story of the same on his Instagram.

This wasn’t the first time Irving thought of giving back to New Jersey. When he was still a Net last year, the sensational guard, with More Than A Run Inc, organized a community event.

He was a player-coach in the game who spread his knowledge with every opportunity he got. These efforts by public figures like him and Shaq prove vital for the youth to develop into something that they might not otherwise.

Shaquille O’Neal inspired Michael B. Jordan in ‘Boys and Girls Club’ meetings

Hollywood superstar, Michael B. Jordan, is now a world-famous actor. However, it was as difficult for him to get there as it is for any African American living in New Jersey.

However, he took inspiration to do something big from The Big Aristotle when he once came down to those Boys and Girls. He paid homage to Shaq for the same in the Creed 3 movie.

So, now you might have an idea of how many lives Irving and any other celebs can affect when they keep paying visits like these. It might take a few hours off their busy schedules but proves detrimental to the growth of the youth they meet.

Post Edited By: Tonoy Sengupta
kyrie irving Newark Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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