According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the NBA’s Kyrie Irving has created a new fund to help support WNBA players who have chosen to sit out the re-started season for health reasons. The WNBA began it’s re-start on Saturday in Florida if you didn’t notice, but as with all returning sports, several prominent players have chosen to not take the risk.
Nets’ Kyrie Irving has started a $1.5 million fund for WNBA players who choose to sit out the 2020 WNBA season due to personal, professional, health, and/or safety-related reasons.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 27, 2020
WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Jewell Lloyd worked to connect Irving to players around the WNBA to discuss their concerns and situations. The enigmatic NBA star is a the Vice President of the NBA Player’s Union and an outspoken supporter of social change. Regarding the WNBA, Irving was quoted as saying:
"Whether a person decided to fight for social justice, play basketball, focus on physical or mental health, or simply connect with their families, this initiative can hopefully support their priorities and decisions.” — Kyrie Irving
https://t.co/QUdVDUDVG1— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) July 27, 2020
The initiative created a fund called the KAI Empowerment Institute that Kyrie Irving launched with a $1.5 million endowment. The organization will be committed to helping players who qualify for support. The highest WNBA salary is “only” $200,000 while the average player is forced to struggle through life on a meager $116,000 and the league minimum is $57,000 annually. The program will include a financial literacy educational service from UBS to help players better manage their money.
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To qualify for support, players have to work with the program to define the circumstances of their choosing to sit out. Medical reasons have to only be related to COVID-19, while social justice protests are also a supported cause. Players cannot be drawing salary or support from any other sources if they’re going to tap the KAI funds.
Once again Kyrie Irving is stepping up to show leadership in the basketball world. The guy we once laughed at for his flat-Earth take is revealing himself to be a thoughtful caring and inspirational leader among his peers, in his sport and for fans who look to athletes for inspiration.
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