The roster of the Atlanta Braves will be very different this season with Matt Olson stepping into the shoes of the team’s first baseman. He will be replacing Freddie Freeman, who, following the Braves’ acquisition of Olson last week, chose to sign a six-year contract worth $162 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

People Believe Freddie Freeman Abandons Atlanta Braves

While many are not happy Freddie Freeman left the Braves, some are pleased that he has joined the Dodgers. A popular opinion is that he abandoned the Braves because they signed up with Olson. This is because Atlanta appeared to pivot away from Freeman when it got first baseman Matt Olson, who is also four years younger and still has two more years before his own free agency.

Olson Could Prove to Be a Good Replacement for Freeman

Olson is a great defender with terrific power and the qualities of a team leader. The expectations are that Braves fans will be rather happy with Olson, even though he is no Freddie Freeman. Freeman was great at getting runners at second or third base and often seemed to have a quick path to the ball. His skills as a great hitter will now serve the Dodgers. He is still among the very best at what he does and the Braves will definitely miss him. However, Olson is also good in the big spots and a true wizard when games have to be decided.

Reportedly, Freeman chose to accept the deal the Dodgers were offering despite it being less than what the Braves had offered him. Prior to the offseason, Freeman had declined a five-year offer deal with the Braves for $135 million. He agreed to sign with the Dodgers after the acquisition of Olson from the Oakland Athletics. To many, it was clear that they had moved on from Freeman, so his decision was not all that surprising. Now, what lies in store for both players remains to be seen and that will definitely happen where it should – on the field.

Kyrie Irving is a huge NBA star who plays for the Brooklyn Nets. He recently gave back to a family who needed support. The family was that of George Floyd, who died due to the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

Kyrie Irving Helps George Floyd’s Family

Stephen Jackson, who is a former NBA player and close friend of George Floyd’s, talked about the gift along with the other massive amounts of support from people for George Floyd’s 7-year-old daughter, Gianna. George Floyd, a Black man, died in May of 2020 after a now-former police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly 8 minutes.

Jackson had known Floyd since he was a teenager, and people would often call them twins. Through communication with Stephen Jackson, Irving learned that the family needed a house and he made it happen in no time.

When asked about the gift, Kyrie Irving stated that he simply wanted to continue fulfilling the purpose of serving the underserved communities. Those are the ones that don’t get the same attention from others. He added that he was simply trying to do his part with service.

Irving Wasn’t the Only One to Give Back

The tragedy of George Floyd’s death sparked countless protests all over the world. All the protesters were seeking justice for the death, for Black lives, and the end of police brutality.

Kyrie Irving wasn’t the only one to give back to the family. Many people reached out to the family in different ways to help them. Kyrie bought them a house, Barba Streisand gave them some stock in Disney, and even Lil Wanye’s manager gifted them a Mercedes-Benz.

Kanye West took part and set up a college fund for Gianna, which was part of a $2 million donation to help the Floyd family along with the families of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery who died due to police brutality. Texas Southern University offered Gianna a full scholarship if she decides to attend the university. Apart from this, a GoFundMe campaign was also set up for Gianna and raised more than $2.3 million.