NBA’s Jrue Holiday Generously Donates Remaining Game Checks To Social Justice Initiatives
NBA star Jrue Holiday announced that he’s donating his remaining salary for the 2019-2020 season to social justice initiatives.
The 30-year-old New Orleans Pelicans guard, along with his wife Lauren Holiday, took to Instagram on Wednesday (July 15) to reveal the formation of the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund.
"I have pledged the remainder of my 2020 NBA salary as a progressive step toward combating systemic racism as well as social and economic inequality that continues to prevent Black communities from upward mobility," Holiday wrote in his post.
The philanthropic endeavor will assist Black-led nonprofits in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Indianapolis. Ten other cities that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have received less than two percent of the allocated loans from the Paycheck Protection Program will also be supported.
"Honestly when it came down to it, it was me and my wife talking about what we could do to kind of further this movement and progression and being able to help out our community and just being able to help," Holiday said to ESPN during an interview about the generous program.
The Pelicans are one of the 22 teams participating in the NBA's season restart set to begin on July 31. Holiday is slated to earn $5.3 million from his remaining game checks, according to the sports news outlet.
"We were just kind of sitting in the house, in the bed, thinking about it, and my wife said, 'I think you should do this and you should do the rest of your salary,'" Holiday said. "[I thought] that's a great idea. Because we want to make an impact. God has blessed us with so much. We know a couple of things that are important are time and money, and right now, we have both."
He continued: "It's not just about the money for me and my family. That's the important part. It's not just about me. It's not just about the money. I want people to see that. For us coming to Orlando and playing these games, giving away this money is what is important and trying to help others."
Holiday concluded: "Trying to support others during this hard time. Fortunately enough, we still have a job. We get paid very well to have this job. Me and wife felt like this was very important."
