Suns’ Biyombo donates his salary to build a hospital; Harden spends $1 mill in strip club

In a league loaded with money, Phoenix Suns center Bismack Biyombo is one of a kind.

The 29-year-old is known for spending his money for a good cause, like establishing schools and basketball academies, but as a native of Congo, Biyombo has felt that his country is in most urgent need of healthcare.

That’s why the Congolese is giving up his whole salary this season, $1.3 million, to build a hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bismack Biyombo: “nobody’s changing my mind”

Biyombo told reporters that for every 10,000 people in the Congo, there is only one doctor, making the chance of dying higher than that of surviving.

“Isn’t that crazy?” Biyombo said. “If your loved one is going to the hospital, they have a higher chance of dying than surviving. It really breaks my heart.”

He also told reporters that when he is set on something he believes in, only he can make up his own mind. “When I’m set on something, nobody really, especially something like this, nobody’s changing my mind.”

Biyombo’s generous efforts are personal

Biyombo’s generosity hasn’t just been a personal choice. His father, Francois, was the one who first taught him about public service and its value. He co-founded the Bismack Biyombo Foundation in 2016, and sadly died of covid-19 in the Congo last summer.

Biyombo wanted to give back to his father and continue to make a change within his people.

“I wanted to do something for him that would continue to service people. But most important, save lives,” Biyombo said.

Biyombo’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed by the league.

The NBA chose Biyombo as the winner of the March NBA Cares Community Assist Award “for his dedication to bettering the conditions and overall livelihoods of individuals and communities” in the Congo.

How other NBA players spend $1 million

While Biyombo sets an example for inspiring players, other NBA figures, generous or not, have spent the likes of $1 million in very different ways.

Former Rockets star, James Harden, who is known for living an extravagant lifestyle, splashed $1 million in a Houston strip club in 2020. And legendary Shaquille O’Neal, who is known to be very generous with his charity, also spent that same amount of money in a span of 30 minutes after purchasing a 3 Mercedez-Benz.