Irving offers to pay NFL fine for player's Palestinian tribute

NBA star Kyrie Irving has offered to pay the NFL fine imposed on Houston Texans linebacker Azeez AlShaair for wearing the name of a deceased Palestinian child on his eye black during a game. The gesture has drawn attention to the ongoing tension between athlete expression and league rules. AlShaair was fined $11,492 by the NFL for displaying the name "Hind Rajab" on his eye black during the Texans' season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills on September 13. The league penalized him under its rules prohibiting unauthorized personal messages on game-day equipment. When reports of the fine circulated on September 16, Irving responded on the social media platform X with a brief statement: "I'll take care of his fine." Hind Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza City in January 2024 after her family's vehicle came under fire. Her death, and her desperate calls for help, have become widely recognized symbols of civilian casualties in the conflict. The Israeli military acknowledged in August 2026 that its forces opened fire on the vehicle and announced a criminal investigation. This is not the first time AlShaair has been fined for a similar message.