Bismack Biyombo, the center for the Phoenix Suns, intends to donate his entire salary from this season to his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Biyombo expects to earn $1.3 million this year.
He said the money will go toward building a hospital in the country.
“I thought we were doing enough by refurbishing hospitals and clinics, but I think it's time we go a little bigger by building something that will service people, hopefully for generations," Biyombo said.
Biyombo said the contribution is an honor to his father, who died from COVID-19 in 2021.
“I wanted to make this year about my dad because he spent most of his life making his life about me, my brothers, my sisters and servicing people, and I've seen how people try to survive daily in the Congo,” he said.
Biyombo told CBS News that Congo only has one doctor for every 10,000 people.
"If your loved one is going to the hospital, they have a higher chance of dying than surviving. It really breaks my heart," he said.
Last month, Biyombo won the March NBA Cares Community Assist Award. The honor goes to players who give back to their communities.
The Phoenix Suns, the NBA and Kaiser Permanente donated a total of $20,000 to the Bismack Biyombo Foundation to support the player's efforts in Congo.
