Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty
The group arrived at Barclays Center in Brooklyn wearing shirts that read, “Fight Antisemitism,” and three young men in the group wore yarmulkes.
The group’s public message comes two days after Irving posted a link to the film,Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black Americaon his social media.
According toRolling Stone, the film is based on a book promoting antisemitic messages, as well as “ideas in line with more extreme factions of the Black Hebrew Israelites” including “misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.”
AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh
Nets ownerJoe Tsai addressed Irving’s controversial postin a tweet on Saturday, saying he is “disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of antisemitic disinformation.”
Tsai added that he wants to “sit down” with Irving and “make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us.” The NBA owner then condemned any form of hateful material. “It is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity, or religion,” he wrote.
Irving’s behavior also prompted reporters to challenge him during Saturday’s postgame press conference.
ESPN’sNick Friedell asked Irvingwhy he publicly supported an idea from controversial conservative Alex Jones. “That was a few weeks ago,” Irving told Friedell before publicly denouncing Jones' recent lawsuit regarding families of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting.
Irving clarified that his post was from “the late or early nineties” and regarding “secret societies in America” from Jones' New World Order theory. “It’s true,” Irving said of the controversial theory.
Irving and Friedell engaged in a tense exchange, ending with the Nets star player asking Friedell to “please stop calling” his post of the film “a promotion” and to “stop dehumanizing” him during the presser.
Irving dismissed Friedell’s continued questions and eventually, another reporter asked a basketball-related question.
The NBA championaddressed the antisemitic claims on Twitteras well. “I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs,” Irving wrote.
“The ‘AntiSemitic’ 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.”
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“Hate speech of any kind is unacceptable and runs counter to the NBA’s values of equality, inclusion and respect. We believe we all have a role to play in ensuring such words or ideas, including antisemitic ones, are challenged and refuted,” the statement read.
The league promised that it will “continue working with all members of the NBA community to ensure that everyone understands the impact of their words and actions.”
Irving and the Brooklyn Nets will host theChicago Bullson Tuesday evening.
source: people.com
