NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for at least five games without pay Thursday, dismayed by his repeated failure to “unequivocally state that he has no anti-Semitic beliefs,” with Irving later apologizing for his social media post last week for a book and film that include anti-Semitic tropes.
Irving refused to apologize during a post-practice media session earlier Thursday, and the Nets subsequently said that Irving “is currently ineligible to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
“We were appalled today when given the opportunity in a media session that Kyrie refused to state unequivocally that he has no anti-Semitic beliefs, nor to acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had an opportunity – but failed – to clarify,” the Nets said in a statement.
“Such a failure to deny anti-Semitism when there was a clear opportunity to do so is deeply troubling, goes against the values of our organization and represents behavior that is detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the opinion that he is not currently appropriate to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
After being suspended, Irving issued an apology, which many, including NBA commissioner Adam Silver, had earlier called for.
In an Instagram post, Irving wrote: “To all the Jewish families and communities who have been hurt and affected by my post, I am deeply sorry for causing you pain and I apologize. At first, I reacted out of emotion at being unfairly labeled as anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish brothers and sisters who were hurt by the hateful remarks made in the documentary. I want to clear up any confusion about where I stand on anti-Semitism by apologizing for posting the documentary without context and a factual explanation outlining the specific beliefs in the documentary that I agreed and disagreed with. It was not my intention to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or to perpetuate any hatred. I am learning from this unfortunate event and I hope we can find understanding between all of us.”
Irving also wrote that the film “contains some false anti-Semitic statements, narratives and language that are false and offensive to the Jewish race/religion, and I take full responsibility and accountability for my actions.”
In announcing Irving’s suspension, the Nets said they had made multiple attempts in recent days to help Irving understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, but during the point guard’s post-practice interview earlier Thursday, it became clear that little has changed.
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Irving again refused to apologize, saying only that he meant no harm. He said some things in Jews to Negroes: Awakening Black America were false, but he didn’t say he shouldn’t have posted a link to it.
“I’m not the one who made the documentary,” Irving said.
He was later asked if he had anti-Semitic beliefs and he didn’t say no.
“I can’t be anti-Semitic if I know where I come from,” Irving said.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded to a video of Irving’s response to this question on Twitter, writing: “The answer to the question ‘Do you have any anti-Semitic beliefs’ is always an unequivocal NO.
“We took @KyrieIrving at his word when he said he took responsibility, but today he didn’t follow through on that promise,” Greenblatt added. “Kyrie obviously has a lot of work to do.
A day earlier, Irving and the Nets announced, along with the ADL, that they would each donate $500,000 to anti-hate causes.
After the Nets announced Irving’s suspension, Greenblatt tweeted: “We were optimistic, but after seeing the press conference debacle, it’s clear Kyrie doesn’t feel responsible for his actions. @ADL cannot in good conscience accept his donation.”
Silver also held Irving accountable earlier Thursday.
“While we appreciate that he agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he did not offer an unconditional apology and specifically condemn the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publish,” the commissioner said in a statement released minutes before Irving spoke.
Silver said in the statement that he will meet with Irving in person next week.
This is the second straight season the Nets have sent Irving away from the team. Last year was when he refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which made him ineligible to play home games. They eventually brought him back to play on the road in December. He was able to make a full comeback in March, when New York’s vaccine mandate for athletes and entertainers was lifted.
Irving posted the deleted link late last week, then defiantly defended his right to do so after the Nets’ home loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The team made him not speak to reporters after their two games this week, hoping to avoid further riling up fans, but the weather has done little to change Irving’s stance.
He quickly went on the defensive Thursday, asking reporters why they didn’t ask questions about black American history, saying 300 million of his ancestors were buried in the country.
“Where did you guys ask the same questions when I was a kid, learning about the traumatic events of my family history and what I’m proud to come out of and stand here,” Irving said, “and why when I say to myself that I’m not going to back down, that it has nothing to do with rejecting another race or group of people.
“I’m just proud of my heritage and what we’ve been through and the fact that it’s brought me up against the Jewish community and I’m here answering questions about whether or not I’m sorry for something I’ve done. I didn’t create and it was something that I shared, and I tell everybody that I take responsibility, then that’s where I sit.”
Irving was also asked specifically about his beliefs regarding the Holocaust.
“These lies are unfortunate,” Irving said, referring to the content in the film. “And it’s not that I don’t believe in the Holocaust. I never said that. I never, ever said that. It didn’t come out of my mouth. I never tweeted it. I’ve never liked anything like it. So the Holocaust in itself is an event that means something to a large group of people who suffered something that could have been avoided.”
The Nets said Irving’s suspension will continue “until he satisfies a series of objective corrective measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct.”
Irving will miss at least three road games at Washington, Charlotte and Dallas, a home game against New York and another road game at the Clippers. The Nets are currently 2-6, which cost coach Steve Nash his job on Tuesday.
The team declined to extend Irving’s contract this summer after he was unavailable for much of last season. Irving opted out of the final season of his contract, making it possible that he will be in his final season with the team.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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