After a tumultuous offseason in Brooklyn, it didn’t take Kyrie Irving long to fall into another off-court controversy. This time, it had nothing to do with flat earth conspiracy theories or even vaccination mandates. This time, it was claims of antisemitism that had Irving receiving some major backlash.
Basically, he promoted a movie on his page with anti-Semitic themes and then refused to explain himself when pressed for answers.
All-in-all, it’s hardly the worst thing that Kyrie has done, but it’s yet another mishap in what has been a whirlwind season for the Nets, who are just 2-6 on the year.
Of course, Irving did issue a response via Twitter, but it didn’t do much to calm the fans.
“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.”
In the days that followed, Irving stayed away from the media, ignoring the calls for him to make another public statement. Today, however, the Nets finally announced their latest course of action.
Kyrie Irving And The Nets Pledge To Donate $500K To Anti-Hate Groups
As revealed on social media Wednesday night, Kyrie and the Nets will each donate half a million to combat ‘intolerance in our communities.’
“The Nets and Kyrie Irving will work with ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), a nonprofit organization devoted to fighting antisemitism and all types of hate that undermine justice and fair treatment for every individual,” the joint statement said. “This is an effort to develop educational programming that is inclusive and will comprehensively combat all forms of antisemitism and bigotry.”
“I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility,” Irving said in the joint statement. “I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles. I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light.”
https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1587953383826022400
This is what people wanted to see from Irving. Instead of defending himself or ducking the issue entirely, he owned up to his mistakes and is doing what he can to make up for it.
And while Kyrie still has a long way to go to fully repair his legacy, this is certainly a nice start to making peace with the Nets and their fans.
