Kyrie Irving apologized Thursday for sharing antisemitic material on Twitter, but he is still facing at least a five-game suspension for his behavior in recent days.
The Brooklyn Nets announced the suspension Thursday evening, one day after the team put out a joint statement with Irving promising large donations to organizations working to combat hate and provide community education.
The new statement criticized Irving for failing to apologize for his actions during a Thursday meeting with reporters.
“We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity — but failed — to clarify. Such failure to disavow antisemitism ... is deeply disturbing, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team,” the Nets’ statement said.
The team said Irving would be suspended without pay “until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct” and that the suspension would last for at least five games.
About four hours after the Nets released their statement, Irving posted a lengthy apology on Instagram, acknowledging that the documentary he’d promoted contained antisemitic “statements, narratives and language.”
“To all Jewish families and communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize,” he said.
Adam Silver comments on Kyrie Irving
Irving’s apology came in the wake of not just the suspension announcement, but also a critical statement from NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Silver said Thursday that Irving should specifically apologize for tweeting a link to an antisemitic film and denounce the hateful messages the film contains.
“Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material. While we appreciate the fact that he agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize. I will be meeting with Kyrie in person in the next week to discuss the situation,” the commissioner said in a statement.
Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets announce donation
Silver’s statement came one day after Irving and the Nets announced plans to donate $500,000 each “toward causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance.” The team and player also said they would work with the Anti-Defamation League to develop programming combatting “all forms of antisemitism and bigotry.”
The statement explaining these donations and initiatives included comments from Irving, who, like rapper Kanye West, has faced intense pushback in recent days tied to his social media activity.
The basketball player said he takes responsibility for “the negative impact” of his tweet about the antisemitic documentary.
“I oppose all forms of hatred and opposition and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day,” Irving said.
What has Kyrie Irving said about antisemitism?
Irving’s Wednesday comments and Thursday apology came after he spent several days resisting calls to apologize for the tweet. At first, he refused to delete it, arguing that he had a “whole army” to defend him.
“I’m not going to stand down on anything I believe in. I’m only going to get stronger because I’m not alone. I have a whole army around me,” Irving said to reporters on Saturday, according to The Washington Post.
But he changed his tune on Sunday after the owner of the Brooklyn Nets spoke out and finally deleted the tweet.
Then, on Monday, Irving briefly met with Nets fans sitting courtside at a game against the Indiana Pacers. They were wearing “Fight antisemitism” T-shirts to protest Irving’s tweet and the team’s response, as NBC News reported.
“It is upsetting to see all these antisemitic things that he is saying and for him to be a part of a team that we have loved for a while now,” said Lindsay Haimm, one of the fans who wore the T-shirts, to NBC News.
Brooklyn Nets suspend Kyrie Irving
Although Wednesday’s announcement from Irving and the Nets about their planned donations seemed like a step in the right direction, the player got himself back in hot water on Thursday during a press conference.
Rather than apologize and discuss his efforts to learn more about the Jewish community, Irving presented himself as a victim.
“I’m just here to continue to expose things that our world continues to put in darkness,” he said, according to religion reporter Louis Keene.
His statements during the press conference prompted the Nets to suspend Irving and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to announce that his organization would not be accepting Irving’s $500,000 donation.
“We were optimistic, but after watching the debacle of a press conference, it’s clear that Kyrie feels no accountability for his actions,” Greenblatt said, according to NBA reporter Ian Begley.
Nike suspends its relationship with Kyrie Irving
On Friday evening, Nike announced that it was suspending its relationship with Irving.
Irving has been a Nike-sponsored athlete since 2014. Nike has launched seven models of Irving’s signature shoe, which have been popular among basketball players.
Nike was expected to launch the Kyrie 8 — Irving’s eighth signature shoe — in November, per Sneaker News, but will no longer launch it, according to a statement by Nike.
“At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form antisemitism. To that end, we’ve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8. We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone,” Nike’s statement read.
What will happen to Kyrie Irving?
Irving’s apology on Instagram will likely satisfy part of the “objective remedial measures” outlined by the Nets, but it’s still unclear when the star player will be back on the court.
Some NBA insiders have said that the Nets have explored a trade in recent days, but that other teams aren’t interested in Irving’s “baggage.”
“I talked to a lot of people around the league over the weekend, and the sense I get right now is he’s radioactive. Even if you drop the price to nothing, the baggage is just too much,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his podcast this week, according to Bleacher Report.