Charlotte Hornets great launches AI-powered funeral service

Charlotte Hornets player turned coach Kemba Walker is among a group of basketball stars partnering for a good cause, launching a funeral planning platform supported by AI.

Eazewell is a website that uses AI to help those who have lost a loved one with the next steps, like finding a funeral home or cremation provider, planning the funeral, financing, fundraising and completing end-of-life tasks and paperwork. It's user friendly and helps families with difficult tasks.

The platform, co-founded by Walker, former NCAA National Champion at UConn Donnell Beverly Jr., and Denver Nuggets’ player Russell Westbrook announced its official launch on Wednesday.

The concept for Eazewell came about from the co-founders’ past experiences with loss, according to a press release. Beverly Jr. and Westbrook’s high school friend and teammate, Khelcey Barrs III, died of an enlarged heart during a game.

Later, Beverly Jr. lost both of his parents and was faced with many challenges in end-of-life planning. The difficulties were overwhelming, which led to Eazewell becoming a conceptual project. 

"Years ago, Donnell and I connected through the loss of a close friend. Witnessing the profound impact it had on the family left a lasting impression on me,” Westbrook said in the release. “Eazewell is the solution we wished they had then. We’re turning that pain into service for those experiencing loss, providing families with someone in their corner when they need it most. I’m incredibly proud to be part of something that will truly make a difference in people’s lives.”

Eazewell was previously soft-launched and is now available throughout the U.S. According to the release, users can use the platform to request quotes, get curated funeral home options, manage paperwork and more.

“Recent advances in agentic AI allow Eazewell to automate complex negotiations, paperwork, and loan applications in real-time, instantly parsing user requests, learning from each exchange, and coordinating with service providers. The result is a significant reduction in logistical strain for grieving families." 

The company said it also plans to roll out advanced AI features in the coming weeks.