NBA star Kyrie Irving jumps into NFL drama, offers to pay player's fine for Gaza-themed eye black

When the disciplinary report surfaced on X, Kyrie posted regarding Al-Shaair: "I'll take care of his fine."

The NFL penalized Al-Shaair under strict rules banning unauthorized personal messages on game-day gear. And this is not his first offense.

In January 2026, he took an $11,593 hit for writing "Stop the Genocide" on his eye black during a playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That is on top of his history of cheap shots on the field, including the brutal late hit on a sliding Trevor Lawrence that earned him a three-game suspension.

Between his vocal Muslim faith and his endless appetite for a spiritual crusade, Kyrie opening his wallet here surprises nobody.

After refusing to unequivocally disavow antisemitism, the Nets suspended Irving for eight games, declaring him "unfit to be associated" with the franchise. An Instagram apology eventually followed, but Kyrie's habit of using his fortune to back unauthorized political statements clearly is not going anywhere.

Geopolitical protest or religious speech, the league seemingly treats all unauthorized eye-black messages the same.