The Lakers’ star weighed in on the demands the Nets star must complete to return to the basketball court.
As Kyrie Irving fulfills his suspension over his promotion of the antisemitic film and book Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, several NBA players have weighed in on the Nets’ requirements for the Brooklyn star to accomplish before returning to the court.
Lakers star LeBron James, who is also a former teammate of Irving’s when the two played for the Cavaliers, entered the conversation on Thursday, tweeting that he believes the seven-time All-Star should be back to playing in games.
“I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information,” James tweeted. “And I’ll continue to be that way but Kyrie [Irving] apologized and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple. Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him. Anyways back to my rehab session.”
James’s comments come five days after the Lakers’ star shared that he does not “condone” hate of any kind and that what Irving did “caused some harm to a lot of people.”
“I don’t condone any hate to any kind,” James said following the Lakers’ 130–116 loss to the Jazz on Friday. “To any race. To Jewish communities, to Black communities, to Asian communities. You guys know where I stand.”
James also related Irving’s recent behavior to his media company Uninterrupted’s recent decision to not air an episode of the shop that featured Ye, in which the popular rapper doubled down on his recent string of antisemitic comments.
“…There’s no place in this world for it,” James said. “Nobody can benefit from that, and I believe what Kyrie did caused some harm to a lot of people.”
Like James, on Tuesday, Celtics star and National Basketball Players Association vice president Jaylen Brown shared that he felt the league’s union would appeal Irving’s suspension mandated by Brooklyn. Brown stated that “a lot of the players expressed discomfort with the terms.”
“I don’t believe Kyrie Irving is antisemitic,” Brown told the Boston Globe. “I don’t think people in our governing bodies think he’s antisemitic. He made a mistake. We understand from an outside perspective how important sensitivity is to not condone hate speech and not condone anything of that nature. It’s sensitivity to the dialect around that. We don’t want to stand up for somebody in order to not condemn hate speech, but I don’t believe Kyrie Irving is antisemitic. And hopefully the NBA feels the same way.”
The Nets suspended Irving for at least five games on Nov. 3 after several controversial interviews and his refusal to apologize for his comments. However, Irving has since issued an apology and reportedly must fulfill a list of requirements to return to play that include issuing a verbal apology to the media for sharing the film as well as having a strong comprehension of why the film was harmful.
The 30-year-old is also required to follow and complete sensitivity trainings under the direction of the Nets and meet with Jewish leaders in the Brooklyn community and will need to “donate $500,000 to anti-hate causes and meet with the Anti-Defamation League,” according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Once the requirements have been met, Irving will then meet with Nets owner Joe Tsai.
In addition to Irving not playing currently, Nike co-founder Phil Knight stated in an interview with CNBC on Thursday that it is unlikely that the company will resume its business relationship with the Nets’ star.
“I would doubt that we go back, but I don’t know for sure,” Knight said.
Irving also met with the NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday regarding his behavior. According to The Athletic, the meeting between the two was a “productive and understanding visit.”
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