Brooklyn Nets take to the court without Kyrie Irving as the guard starts his minimum five-game suspension for his anti-Semitism row while the team bids to return to winning ways vs. Washington Wizards
- It has been a week of turmoil for the Brooklyn Nets and guard Kyrie Irving
- Irving has been suspended for a continued refusal to apologize for linking to a film on social media based on a ‘venomously anti-Semitic’ book
- After he was suspended for at least five games Thursday, he duly apologized
- The Nets also fired manager Steve Nash this week after a bad start on court
Life for Nets without Kyrie Irving – for at least five games – has begun as Brooklyn takes on the Wizards away from home.
The Nets enter the game just 2-6 on the season and losers of five of the last six games, though their poor play is not what has dominated the headlines of late.
Irving was suspended by the team Thursday night ‘until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct,’ as he refused to answer whether he held any anti-Semitic beliefs following the sharing of an anti-Semitic film on his Twitter account.
Irving posted a link to the Amazon page for the 2018 film ‘Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America’ last week and quickly found himself in hot water due to the film’s anti-Semitic tropes.
Among other damaging ideas, it claims ‘many famous high-ranking Jews have admitted to worshipping Satan or Lucifer.’
The film was based on a 2015 book by the same name.
Irving initially resisted the idea that he could be sharing anti-Semitic ideas, saying Thursday he could not be anti-Semitic ‘because he knows where he comes from.’
Irving issued an apology later that night – after the Nets had suspended him – saying he was ‘deeply sorry’ for his actions.
Irving finally apologized for his actions Thursday – after the Nets suspended him from the team
Nets general manager Sean Marks called the apology a ‘step in the right direction’ but ‘certainly not enough, and the Nets statement announcing Irving’s suspension was highly critical of the star.
‘We have decided that Kyrie will serve a suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct and the suspension period served is no less than five games,’ the Nets statement read in part.
‘We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity – but failed – to clarify.
‘Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.’
It took Irving a while to arrive at the point of a full, unqualified apology.
Last Saturday, after a loss against the Pacers, Irving said he refused to ‘stand down’ and doubled down on his beliefs.
‘I’m only going to get stronger because I’m not alone,’ Irving said. ‘I have a whole army around me.’
Irving was also quoted in a joint-statement with the Nets and Anti-Defamation League where he took responsibility for his actions, and said he ‘oppose[d] all forms and hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day.’
However, he did not explicitly say he was sorry until Thursday night.
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