Mavericks star Kyrie Irving saves a Ghanaian life with $26,000 donation to pay for kidney transplant
While many have taken shots at his character over the years, Kyrie Irving has been known to use his platform for good. He recently just donated a large sum of money so that a person in need could pay for a medical procedure.
The family of Andrews Dzifa Amuzu recently started a GoFundMe in hopes of getting enough money to pay for a kidney transplant. After seeing the story, Kyrie Irving decided to step in an help. The family was hoping to raise $25,000 to cover expenses, and the All-Star guard donated $26,000 himself.
This is one of many instances where Irving has used the fortunes he's made as an NBA star for good. Last year, he donated over $20,000 to a student struggling to pay tuition at Harvard so they could remain in school.
Irving has caught a lot of heat in recent years for some of his actions on and off the basketball court. Still, the former No. 1 pick has a reputation for being extremely generous when it comes to charity.
In his 13-year NBA career, Irving has made just over $270 million. This past offseason, he signed a three-year, $126 million deal to remain with the Dallas Mavericks.
When is Kyrie Irving expected to return to action?
Kyrie Irving has had the chance to do impactful things off the court, but the same can't be said for on the court. The All-Star guard has been out of action since December 8th after teammate Dwight Powell fell awkwardly on his leg.
Because of this incident, Irving has missed the last 12 games for the Dallas Mavericks. However, he could be making a return soon. Over the weekend, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said he expects Irving to return at some point during their upcoming homestand.
Before getting injured, Irving was putting up All-Star-level numbers alongside Luka Doncic. In 17 games, he is averaging 23.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 47/38/90 shooting splits.
Thanks to a dominant run from Doncic, the Mavericks have been able to remain competitive with Irving out of the lineup. They are currently 19-14 on the year, good for sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Dallas is only a game behind the Sacramento Kings and LA Clippers, who claim the two spots ahead of them.
With both their stars back in the lineup, Dallas has a chance to climb in the standings as they look to contend in 2024.