Kyrie Irving is standing on the precipice when it comes to his NBA career, things can go further south very quickly for the former champion. Irving hasn’t been a stranger to controversy in his last few seasons in the league, but this one seems to have become the final straw. Not only are there rumors that Irving will not play for the Nets again, but there are also league executives suggesting that his time in the NBA, in general, may have already come to an end.
Irving’s latest issues have occurred thanks to him sharing a link to a documentary that had some Anti-Semitic content. While he has apologized for sharing it, it didn’t happen fast enough for Brooklyn. And he has been roundly roasted by a lot of NBA legends as well. Shaquille O’Neal called Irving an idiot, while Amar’e Stoudemire explained that Kyrie needed to apologize for hurting the sentiments of Jewish people.
Perhaps his greatest detractor has been Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has delivered some scathing criticism involving the Nets point guard. And while Abdul-Jabbar may have been a little harsh to begin with, he has now spoken again in softer terms about what Kyrie Irving is going through.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Explains That Kyrie Irving Needs To Understand He Is Being Used
Kyrie Irving, not apologizing initially when given the chance, has seen people come out in support of what he did. And while Irving himself isn’t an anti-Semite, it’s safe to say that some have been emboldened by his actions. This is exactly what Abdul-Jabbar addressed in an appearance on CNN.
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“I think Kyrie has to understand what’s happening. He’s being unwittingly used to promote hatred and antisemitism. And even though he doesn’t see himself as being antisemitic by joining forces and making posts like that, he can be used and I think that’s what’s happening.”
It’s hard to say for sure whether Irving is being used or not, the NBA star has always vocally shared his own opinion over everything else. But it’s interesting to note that Abdul-Jabbar’s stance on Kyrie has softened a bit from before.
While no one wants to see any sort of hate against a group of people propagated, Irving never playing in the NBA again might also be too harsh of a punishment. Getting this right is a very delicate matter, and the hope is that the league and the Brooklyn Nets can figure it out in tandem with Kyrie.
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