Duke basketball: Kyrie Irving helps coronavirus relief with large donation

Former Duke basketball superstar Kyrie Irving is doing his part to help fight against the coronavirus pandemic with a large donation to New York-based food banks.

Sometimes during the toughest of moments, the best qualities in a person come out, and former Duke basketball star and current Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving is doing his best to try and help fight against the novel coronavirus.

Irving donated $323,000 to Feeding America, which is an American-based food bank that has over 200 sites across the United States and feeds over 46 million people per year. It is also ranked as the second-largest charity in America by revenue.

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The All-Star is also partnering with City Harvest, a New York-based food pantry, and the duo will ensure that 250,000 New Yorkers get fed during the global pandemic.

Irving made his donation on Monday, March 23, his 28th birthday, and the amount is to commemorate his birthday (3/23) along with his mentor, the late Kobe Bryant, and the first number he wore his career, No. 8 (3 + 2 + 3), according to Howard Beck.

COVID-19 has hit close to home for the Brooklyn Nets with four players testing positive for the virus, with the only known player who was diagnosed on the team being Kevin Durant, who has not played this season due recovering from a torn Achilles.

Kyrie Irving underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on March 3 after just playing 20 games in his first season with the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 27.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.

Unlike Durant, Irving has not traveled with the team since his surgery as the expectation is that the players on the team contracted the disease while being on their most recent road trip in Los Angeles.

ALSO READ: Kyrie Irving’s first year with Nets cut short due to shoulder surgery

The NBA temporarily suspended its season due to the COVID-19 outbreak back on March 12, and the suspension will last at least 30 days before Commissioner Adam Silver will revisit and reassess the landscape of the league and the pandemic.

Kyrie Irving is not the first former Blue Devil to make a contribution or donation to help during the coronavirus outbreak as rookie Zion Williamson pledged to pay the salaries of the Smoothie King Center during the first 30 days of the NBA’s suspension.

ALSO READ: Zion Williamson to pay Smoothie King Center workers through suspension

Irving is not expected to play in the playoffs should the postseason be delayed and the Nets earn the No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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