Phil Knight said the Nets star was given several chances but he was “dug in.”
During an interview with CNBC, Nike co-founder Phil Knight said it’s unlikely the company and Nets star Kyrie Irving will resume their business relationship.
“I would doubt that we go back, but I don’t know for sure,” Knight said.
Nike announced Friday that it was suspending its relationship with Irving and would not launch his new shoe line. The decision comes in the wake of the 30-year-old posting a link to an antisemitic film on Twitter and refusing to apologize for it on several occasions.
Irving is currently serving a suspension for his actions, and shortly after his punishment was announced, he finally issued an apology to Jewish communities and families.
The film in question, Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, is “stuffed with antisemitic tropes,” according to Rolling Stone. It is based on a 2015 book of the same name.
The Nets have stipulated that Irving needs to satisfy several conditions, including a condemnation of the film, to return to the court. Knight said Irving was given several opportunities to walk back on his statements, but he was “dug in.”
“Kyrie stepped over the line,” Knight said. “It’s that simple. He made some statements that we just can’t abide by, and that’s when we ended the relationship.”
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