It took only five games into the 2022-23 NBA season for Kyrie Irving to stir the pot and make a lot of people mad at something he said or did. The Brooklyn Nets star was very vocal when defending Ben Simmons, even asking reporters and fans to respect Ben and give him some time to get back to his best level.
This was a very nice approach, despite the current 1-4 record the Nets hold. However, things have gone South in recent hours, after Kyrie promoted a controversial movie on social media, which didn’t sit well with anybody around the league, especially the people in charge of the Brooklyn Nets.
After Kyrie shared a link to the 2018 film, “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” many people reacted to it, including Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai. Tsai didn’t like any of that and sent a message to Kyrie, showing his disappointment with the player.
I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-Semitic disinformation. I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion.
Just like Tsai, many people condemned Kyrie’s promotion, but the player has spoken out about it, clarifying that he didn’t mean any disrespect to anybody.
Kyrie Irving States He’s Not Anti-Semitic
Just like he did with the movie, Kyrie took to Twitter to reply to the comments made by Tsai and the rest of the NBA community, making it clear that he’s not anti-Semite and he’s not against any religion by any means.
I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs. The “Anti-Semitic” label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions.
Hélà🤞🏾♾
— Kyrie🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) October 29, 2022
I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs. The “Anti-Semitic” label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions.
This situation happens in the middle of a scandal regarding Kanye West, who made some unfortunate comments about Jewish people. The rapper and businessman were left alone after a lot of people decided to cut ties with him, including Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown.
Kyrie is now under fire for doing something similar. The 2016 NBA champion already lived involved in controversy last season, and this is the last thing the Nets need amid a 1-4 start to the 2022-23 NBA season.
