NBA star Kyrie Irving agreed to pay a NFL fine for Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair on Wednesday.
The $11,941 fine was assessed by the NFL after Al-Shaair wore the name “Hind Rajab” on his eye black during the Texans’ loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.
Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl, was killed in 2024 by Israel military forces in Gaza City; the firing upon the car Rajab was riding in also resulted in the deaths of six of her family members.
ESPN reported Thursday morning on Irving’s decision to pay Al-Shaair’s fine, but the company’s initial tweet caption with a link to the article did not include Rajab’s name, which drew a strong reaction from the NBA point guard.
“Her name is HIND RAJAB,” Irving wrote, “And She was more brave than every single one of you at ESPN.”
Rajab and her family were attempting to flee war-torn Gaza when their vehicle was struck by Israeli gunfire. The 5-year-old was the lone survivor in the car for hours, and audio of her calls with the Palestine Red Crescent Society while she pleaded for emergency assistance were eventually published online and caused outrage.
An ambulance with two paramedics eventually reached near Rajab’s location, but telephone contact with the emergency personnel and the girl was lost during the rescue attempt. Rajab, her six family members, and the two paramedics were found dead 12 days later after Israeli forces withdrew from the area.
Rajab’s story was chronicled in a docudrama film, “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” that was nominated for an Oscar in March. Spike Lee was listed among the executive producers of the film, which was directed by Kaouther Ben Hania.
Last month, the Israel military admitted to firing at the vehicle Rajab and her family were in and announced the opening of a criminal investigation, CNN reported. This came after an initial January 2024 denial of any involvement in the killings.
Irving is expected to return for the Dallas Mavericks this year after the NBA veteran sat out all of last season to recover from an ACL injury. He has two seasons, including a player option, remaining on a three-year, $118 million contract extension he signed in 2025.
Al-Shaair’s fine for supporting Rajab was not his first one related to the war in Gaza. He was previously docked pay for wearing “Stop The Genocide” on his eye black during a playoff game in January.
NFL rules prohibit players from wearing or displaying any messages that are not pre-approved by the league before, during, and after games.
The latest fine for the Al-Shaair came while New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is involved in a controversial dispute with musical artist Macklemore about the longtime Israel-Palestine conflict.
Kraft banned Macklemore from performing at the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium during upcoming dates on the Ed Sheeran-led Loop Tour.
The decision from Kraft, who is Jewish, came after Macklemore used part of his concert set in New Jersey to support the “Free Palestine” movement and speak out against violence in Gaza.
In his response to Kraft after he was removed for the remaining tour dates, Macklemore claimed that the Patriots owner influenced other owners of stadiums to not allow Sheeran to perform unless Macklemore was taken off the show.
On Wednesday, Macklemore pledged to donate the $1 million he earned from touring with Sheeran to organizations supporting the Palestinian people. He also challenged Kraft to match his donation.
Kraft then said he had already pledged to donate $2 million after speaking to Sheeran on the phone earlier on Wednesday. Kraft’s donation will help to “aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” according to his statement.
