Marshawn Lynch is buying up real estate in Oakland to combat gentrification

Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch is known for interesting answers to interview questions and on Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, he lived up to that.

Lynch goes on to discuss gentrification where he grew up in Oakland, saying he tries to combat it by giving back to the community with the money he made from the NFL.

“While banging my head against people,” Lynch said of playing football, “I had the opportunity to make a couple dollars so therefore I started to go and buy up some real estate in the area where I grew up at in order to give people opportunity for housing.”

Marshawn is well known for giving back to his Oakland community. It’s why he’s the Raiders “Walter Payton Man of the Year” nominee.

Maher asked Lynch to explain to the audience what gentrification is.

“It’s basically when, for me, it’s a lot of white people come move into the hood and kick everybody out that’s there,” Lynch told Maher. “I’ve been a witness of it since I was a small jitterbug so I mean now that I’m grown up and I’m seeing it, I understand it a little more.”

Lynch is a five-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro performer. Lynch is set to become a free agent in March after spending each of the past two seasons with the Raiders. The 32-year-old would be entering his 12th season in the NFL should he play next year.

While his future in the NFL could be in doubt, Lynch is doing God’s work off the field and helping his community buy back the block.