The Nets said they were “dismayed” that Irving didn’t say for sure that he doesn’t have antisemitic views when he talked to the media earlier in the day. He also didn’t say that the movie has “specific hateful material,” which the Nets said was important.
Kyrie Irving was suspended without pay by the Brooklyn Nets after he tweeted a link to an anti-Semitic movie, which angered people all over the league and beyond.
In a statement released Thursday night, the team said, “Over the last few days, we have tried over and over again to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions. This started when he shared a film with deeply disturbing antisemitic hate.
We thought that the best way to deal with this difficult situation was through education, and we thought we had made progress in our efforts to get rid of hate and intolerance.
“Can you please stop calling it a promotion? What am I promoting?… Don’t dehumanize me up here.”
Kyrie Irving and Nick Friedell have an exchange during the Nets postgame press conference.
(via @_Talkin_NBA)pic.twitter.com/7oUmmSL05U
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 30, 2022
But the team said they were “disappointed” when Irving didn’t say for sure that he doesn’t have antisemitic views when he talked to the media earlier in the day or even admit that the movie has “specific hateful material.”
“When someone has a clear chance to denounce antisemitism but doesn’t, it’s deeply upsetting, goes against the values of our organization, and is bad for the team. So, we think that he is not fit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets right now “the message said. “We’ve decided that Kyrie will have to serve a suspension without pay until he takes a set of objective steps to fix the problems caused by his behavior.
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The team said that the ban will last at least five games.
Nets owner Joe Tsai was one of many people who were upset with Irving last week after he posted a link to the movie “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” on Twitter.
Irving said, “I don’t think everything in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and values.” “I am a person who wants to learn from everyone, and I plan to do that with an open mind and a willingness to listen.”
Kyrie Irving Has Quite the History With the Boston Celtics and the NBA
Irving just said yesterday that he was against all kinds of hate and that he and his team would give $500,000 to groups that work to stop it. But Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt didn’t say that the group wouldn’t take Irving’s money until after Irving’s press conference with reporters.
“We were hopeful, but after seeing the disaster of a press conference, it’s clear that Kyrie doesn’t feel responsible for his actions,” Greenblatt said in a tweet Thursday night, adding that the organization “cannot accept his donation in good conscience.
♾A11Even pic.twitter.com/3JLuMugyOL
— Hélà (@KyrieIrving) July 28, 2022
Even though he didn’t apologize directly, Irving took responsibility for the damage he caused to the Jewish community by seeming to support an antisemitic work. The Nets and their star guard also tried to calm the anger that had been directed at them because of Irving’s tweet and his refusal to apologize for it.
In a joint statement with the Nets and the Anti-Defamation League, Irving said, “I oppose all forms of hate and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and hurt every day.” “I am aware that my post hurt the Jewish community, and I accept responsibility for that.
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“I’m a person who wants to learn from everyone, and I plan to do that with an open mind and a willingness to listen,” he said. “So, from my family and me, we didn’t mean any harm to any one group, race, or religion of people, and we only want to be a beacon of truth and light.
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Irving hadn’t said anything in public since Saturday when he defended his right to post about things he believes in a very strong way. Since then, he hasn’t talked to reporters after either of the Nets’ home games. At one of those games, fans sitting courtside wore shirts that said “Fight Antisemitism.”
Sam Zussman, CEO of BSE Global, the company that owns the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, said, “There are no room for antisemitism, racism, false stories, or misguided attempts to create animosity and hate.” “It is more important than ever to make sure that these areas have an education. We are doing what we said before because actions speak louder than words.
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Before, Nets general manager Sean Marks said that the team had talked to the ADL about how to handle the fallout from Irving’s actions. However, Irving has not been punished by the league.
The Nets also said that they and the New York Liberty of the WNBA would host a series of community conversations at Barclays Center in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other national civil rights groups and local community groups.
