Every single season Kyrie Irving gets caught up in something that becomes a huge distraction for his team. Before it was flat earth conspiracy theories, then it was the anti-vax beliefs, and now it’s anti-semitism that Irving posted on his own platform.
Irving didn’t actually say anything anti-semitic himself, but his promotion of the suspect material was enough to get him into some major trouble, which has come in the form of a suspension from the Nets and a breakup with Nike.
It’s a tough position that Irving finds himself in, but one could argue it’s one he puts himself in.
Speaking on the subject of Irving and his current situation, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shared some words of wisdom.
“It’s not acceptable, but at the same, if there was just some dude on the street corner saying what Kyrie said, or Kanye (West) said, you’d just assume they’re crazy and keep on walking. But when they are a celebrity, you can’t do that. You have a platform, so people pay attention. I don’t think Kyrie has got a bad heart, but I think he’s definitely not educated about the impact it has, and that’s part of the process.”
Kyrie Irving Is Still Facing Backlash For His Anti-Semitic Behavior
After Irving realized the magnitude of the situation, he issued a formal apology and took full accountability for his actions. Unfortunately, it may have been too late. Kyrie was offered multiple opportunities to make a statement and put it to bed and he let them go to waste before scrambling to make that statement.
Both Adam Silver and Stephen A. Smith have advocated for his return, but Uncle Drew is going to have to do more if he wants to return to the court this season.
“He still has work to do,” Nets owner Joe Tsai told The Post on Saturday. Irving was handed an indefinite suspension, which the Nets said would be at least five games, for promoting an anti-Semitic movie. The All-Star guard reached that five-game threshold Saturday, when the Nets played the Clippers. He also will sit out Sunday against the Lakers — and for as long as it takes for him to complete a set of remedial tasks mandated by the Nets.
“He has to show people that he’s sorry,” Tsai told The Post during the game against the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday. “What’s important — and what people miss — is he only apologized after he was suspended.”
Needless to say, Kyrie still has relationships to mend before he can suit up as a Net again, and nobody knows how long the process will take.
In the meantime, the Nets will just have to keep on pushing without him. They are 4-2 so far sans Irving, but can they keep it, and keep their season alive, with their second-best player in a state of limbo?
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