New York Knicks big man Taj Gibson is covering the cost of the funeral of Davell Gardner, a 1-year-old kid killed by gunfire in Brooklyn earlier this July.

Gibson, a Brooklyn native himself, is paying for the funeral personally, according to Rose Adams of Brooklyn Paper.

The 35-year-old forward appeared at a Brooklyn demonstration against gun violence last Saturday, advocating for community intervention. Per Marc Berman in the New York Post:

“This is about young kids losing their lives because of gun violence,’’ the Knicks vet said. “The city’s gun violence rates have gone up. I’m trying to step up in the community and calm the tensions. And we’re going through tough times with the pandemic.’’

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The Knicks signed Taj Gibson during the 2019 offseason, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $20 million. It's unclear if Gibson will be returning to New York by the fall and winter (the start of the 2020-21 season) as the second year of his deal is only partially guaranteed, with the ‘Bockers possessing the ability to waive him.

New York may not end up cutting ties with Gibson though, given that their most recent head-coaching search has included his former coach in Chicago, Tom Thibodeau.

Thibodeau is high up on a list of names for the Knicks' next coach, including former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson and New York's interim head coach Mike Miller. Both Thibodeau and Atkinson are represented by CAA, the high-powered sports and entertainment agency that new president Leon Rose once ran.