Brothers in charity
Kaepernick ends $1 million giveaway with assists from Curry, Durant
It was inevitable that the Bay Area’s sports power trio eventually would unite, considering their star wattage and shared political and social beliefs.
We’re talking about Colin Kaepernick, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
On Wednesday, Kaepernick announced the completion of his $1 million charity giveaway, in which he donated $100,000 per month to various community-action and social-justice organizations, including Meals on Wheels in Oakland.
To spice up the homestretch of his 10-month program, Kaepenick broke up his final $100,000 donation into 10 $10,000 gifts — calling it “10for-10.” He reached out to the entertainment Stephen Curry (left) and Kevin Durant (right) say they have no qualms about linking themselves with Colin Kaepernick, who has drawn the ire of many fans. community for matching donations, thus doubling or tripling each donation.
Most of the joiners were singers and rappers, but Kaepernick got an assist from Curry and Durant, who each kicked in $10,000, with enthusiasm. It was a fitting hookup, considering the star power of these three Bay athletes.
Kaepernick is the most politically powerful athlete in America, as long as you don’t define “athlete” as a person employed in athletics. Kaepernick famously can’t get a job in the NFL, apparently blacklisted for his kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 in protest of police brutality. Curry and Durant are the biggest
stars on America’s biggest team.
One important measure of fame and clout is jersey sales. Curry’s jersey is the NBA’s top seller, and Durant’s is No. 3. Kaepernick’s jersey continues to be a big seller, making money for a league and a team (the 49ers) that have no interest in him. (Kaepernick also is donating to charity all proceeds from his jersey sales for the 2016 season.)
Now the members of this power trio are brothers in charity.
Curry donated his 10 large to United Playaz, a San Francisco violence-prevention and youth-development organization. Durant kicked in for Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community-organizing and advocacy group in San Jose.
Other celebs who matched Kaepernick at $10,000 per include Usher, Nick Cannon, Serena Williams, Snoop Dogg, singer/actor Chris Brown and rapper Meek Mill.
The ultra-wealthy Curry and Durant didn’t stick their necks out financially, but their alignment with Kaepernick is not without risk, in terms of popularity and endorsements. Michael Jordan once explained why he was apolitical, saying, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”
Curry and Durant make huge money from sneaker (and other) endorsements, but both of them told me they have zero qualms about linking themselves with a man who has drawn the wrath of millions for his protests and his politics.
If there’s one thing we know about Curry, and that we’re learning about Durant, it’s that they’re not afraid to take sides in a political/cultural debate. Curry led the Warriors’ hellno-we-won’t-go-to-the-WhiteHouse charge. Durant seems equally fearless about putting his butt on the line for a cause.
“I don’t want to hear from anybody that’s criticizing what he’s doing with that million dollars,” Curry said when I asked him about his risk. “You can disagree with him, you can disagree with his kneeling and that whole journey, or anything he said. But the fact that he’s putting his money where his mouth is and going to communities and actually helping, not just talking, anybody who wants to criticize that can go somewhere else with that.”
Durant said that, in connecting with Kaepernick, he is showing appreciation for the former 49ers quarterback exposing some harsh realities.
“There are a lot of people that want to be in the dark about who they are and what they believe in. They want it to stay in the dark,” Durant said. “So I think he kind of brought everything to light. And a lot of people that he uncovered some truths about, they hate him. And the people that love him enjoy that he’s kind of been a whistler-blower for some of that stuff.”
Durant said that although many NFL power brokers and fans dislike the protests, “It’s a conversation we need to have, and maybe he’s uncovering some stuff that’s going on in the higher-ups and front offices and the executives, that people don’t want to hear about.”
Durant added, “I love what he’s doing. He’s taking the brunt of the punch for everybody who believes what he’s standing up for. So all power and respect to him.”
How did the Kaepernick connection come about?
With Curry, it goes back to his ongoing support for Kaepernick on Twitter and social media, which was deeply appreciated by the former quarterback. He had his rep reach out to Curry’s people, and Curry jumped on the offer to join the cause.
“It was a cool way for me to support what he is about,” Curry said. “I’ve been around the United Playaz, they’ve been to five or six events I’ve had in the bay and supported me . ... This was a cool way to give some funds to their cause and their mission. And attach to Kaepernick — that’s pretty powerful.”
Curry and Durant have not met Kaepernick in person but have spoken on the phone a few times.
“We’ve talked about some fun stuff,” Curry said. “I even talked to him about the vegan life, and all sorts of cool stuff like that. He’s a big (vegan) believer, and there are plenty of people around me who are trying it, but we’ll see.”
Durant’s hookup with Kaepernick came when they were both in New York for a GQ magazine photo shoot. They were in separate photo sessions, and didn’t meet in person, but sharing the magazine cover with Kaepernick inspired Durant to contact him. They connected by phone.
“Just show some love and support,” Durant said. “He hit me on some stuff that he wanted to get done and needed some help, and I wanted to be part of it.”
Curry and Durant get a lot of bang for their buck in terms of feeling good about aiding a cause.
“He’s doing it for everybody,” Durant said of Kaepernick’s protest and programs. “He’s doing it for people like me, and people who come from where I come from, that have no hope, and have nobody to kind of stand up for them in front of everybody. We’ve got nothing but respect for him.”
Durant and Curry say they’re rooting for Kaepernick to get back into the NFL.
“If he wants to play, he should be given the opportunity,” Curry said, “and then he’d have to earn it from there, like every other NFL player.”
Curry is hoping to join a group to buy the Carolina Panthers. I mentioned to him that if he becomes a team owner, he could give Kaepernick a job.
“That team doesn’t need a quarterback,” Curry said with a smile, referring to his buddy, Cam Newton. “But we’ll see how that goes. Maybe.”