NBA star Kyrie Irving suspended without pay over failure to 'say he has no antisemitic beliefs'; he's now 'unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets'



Superstar NBA player Kyrie Irving was suspended for at least five games without pay Thursday by his team, the Brooklyn Nets, for failure to "unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs," ESPN reported.

What's the background?

Irving posted a tweet last week that linked to the Amazon page of a movie titled "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," which is based on a 2015 book by the same name, the sports network reported in an earlier story.

ESPN said the movie contains "antisemitic tropes."

On Saturday night after a loss to the Indiana Pacers, Irving was asked why his tweet is still active.

"I'm not here to argue over a person or a culture or a religion and what they believe," Irving said, according to ESPN. "Nah, this is what's here. It's on a public platform. Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody? Did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people? ... So I'm not going to stand down on anything that I believe in. I'm only going to get stronger, because I'm not alone. I have a whole army around me."

\u201cKyrie Irving addresses the backlash to his recent social media posts after Saturday night's game in Brooklyn.\u201d
— YES Network (@YES Network) 1667098549

Media full-court press

On Thursday of this week, Irving refused to apologize during a post-practice media session, the sports network reported, and said only that he meant no harm. Irving said some things in the movie are untrue, "but he didn't say he shouldn't have posted a link to it," ESPN wrote.

"I'm not the one who made the documentary," Irving said, according to the sports network.

ESPN added that Irving "didn't say no" when he was asked if he holds anti-Semitic beliefs.

"I cannot be anti-Semitic if I know where I come from," he said, according to the sports network.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt reacted by writing that "the answer to the question 'Do you have any antisemitic beliefs' is always 'NO' without equivocation. We took @KyrieIrving at his word when he said he took responsibility, but today he did not make good on that promise. Kyrie clearly has a lot of work to do," ESPN said.

The sports network added that during the press conference Irving "quickly grew defensive" and asked reporters "why they weren't asking questions about the history of black people in America, saying 300 million of his ancestors are buried in the country."

"I'm just proud of my heritage and what we've been through, and the fact that this has pinned me against the Jewish community and I'm here answering questions of whether or not I'm sorry or not about something I didn't create and was something I shared, and I'm telling everybody I'm taking responsibility, then that's where I sit," Irving said, according to ESPN.

Irving also was asked specifically about his beliefs regarding the Holocaust, the sports network said.

"Those falsehoods are unfortunate," he replied in reference to the movie, ESPN said. "And it's not that I don't believe in the Holocaust. I never said that. Never, ever have said it. It's not come out of my mouth. I never tweeted it. I never liked anything like it. So the Holocaust in itself is an event that means something to a large group of people that suffered something that could have been avoided."

Kyrie Irving: I can dismiss any label you put on me | SportsCenter youtu.be

Suspension

After Irving's Thursday press conference, the Nets suspended him.

"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," the Nets said in a statement, according to ESPN. "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."

The Nets said Irving's suspension would last "until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct," the sports network said. The Nets' statement said the organization "made repeated attempts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions"

Despite Irving and the Nets announcing Wednesday that each, in conjunction with the ADL, would donate $500,000 to anti-hate causes, ESPN reported that following Irving's suspension, Greenblatt tweeted that "we were optimistic but after watching the debacle of a press conference, it's clear that Kyrie feels no accountability for his actions. @ADL cannot in good conscience accept his donation."

Apology

About four hours after his suspension, the sports network said Irving issued an apology on Instagram: "To all Jewish families and communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize. I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish brothers and sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the documentary. I want to clarify any confusion on where I stand fighting against anti-Semitism by apologizing for posting the documentary without context and a factual explanation outlining the specific beliefs in the documentary I agreed with and disagreed with. I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate. I am learning from this unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between us all."

Irving also said the movie "contained some false anti-Semitic statements, narratives, and language that were untrue and offensive to the Jewish race/religion, and I take full accountability and responsibly for my actions," ESPN said.

Anything else?

Irving was embroiled in controversy last season, too, when he was barred from Nets home games for not receiving the COVID-19 shot in defiance of New York City's vaccine mandate. Yet Irving still was allowed to enter the Nets' arena as a spectator and sit courtside, which only exacerbated the bad optics.

Finally, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced in March an exemption from NYC's vaccine mandate for city-based athletes and performers, and Irving was back playing home games.

Whitlock: Blame Bill de Blasio, not Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant, for Brooklyn’s epic failure



At some point this week, possibly tonight at the Barclay Center, the Boston Celtics will eliminate Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Steve Nash, and the Brooklyn Nets from the NBA playoffs.

The Nets, who started the season with former MVP James Harden on the roster, were a preseason favorite to win it all. Pundits thought Harden, Irving, and Durant could, at least for one season, duplicate the mini-dynasty of Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson achieved at Golden State.

Instead, these Nets will go down as the biggest flop in NBA history. They finished the regular season just six games above .500, backed into the playoffs with a play-in victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and are down 0-3 to the Celtics in a first-round playoff series.

Yes, I believe these Nets are more disappointing than the LeBron James-Russell Westbrook-Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers team that couldn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament. The Lakers team was overhyped, a victim of foolish expectations. The addition of Westbrook and his cancerous attitude to any roster kills any legitimate shot at contending at a high level. I didn’t find this year’s Lakers team disappointing. Their failure was inevitable.

The Nets could have been great. One man ruined the Brooklyn Nets: Bill de Blasio. The former lunatic mayor of New York City destroyed the Nets with his insane vaccine mandate for New Yorkers.

The autopsies on the Brooklyn Nets are already being filed. The causes of death center on Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated, Durant’s poor performance against the Celtics, Nash’s inexperienced coaching, and Simmons’ refusal to even suit up.

Bill de Blasio is being allowed to escape blame.

The Nets are dying because of their lack of continuity. Throughout the entire season, the team was in a constant state of flux. Irving couldn’t play in home games because of de Blasio’s stupid mandate. Meanwhile, unvaccinated players on opposing teams could visit New York and play. The rule never made an ounce of sense. It was authoritarian, illogical, and grossly unfair. It harmed people. It hurt Irving and the Nets.

Irving’s status played a role in Harden demanding a trade. Brooklyn’s Big Three of Harden, Irving, and Durant – conceived in January 2021 – played 16 games together before dissolving in February 2022. The Nets acquired Simmons in exchange for Harden. Nearly three months later, Simmons has yet to take the court for Brooklyn.

It’s difficult for me to blame Steve Nash for Brooklyn’s failure. He’s never had a chance to coach his full team. Durant and Irving are still learning to play with each other. Simmons is afraid of failure, a deadly sin for a professional athlete. He would never have been a member of the Nets if de Blasio had acted appropriately.

Establishment media will not make this point, because it no longer speaks truth to power. It protects power.

In the wake of the Nets' failure, there’s a major obvious takeaway for professional athletes: Avoid New York and other cities/states controlled by politicians who believe government is more important than the individual.

Irving and Durant need to escape from New York. They should watch the 1981 movie “Escape from New York” for some inspiration.

The United States is at war with China and the Soviet Union and decides to turn crime-ridden New York City into a maximum-security prison. It’s quite similar to modern America. We’re in a cold war with China and Russia, and New York is crime-ridden and run by prison wardens masquerading as politicians.

Back to the movie. Kurt Russell’s character, “Snake,” is hired to extract the president from Manhattan. It’s a thrilling movie. It ends with the president half-heartedly acknowledging the people who sacrificed their lives to save him and Snake embarrassing the president. The point is smart people should avoid placing their faith in the government.

Kyrie had every right to decline taking the vaccine. He’s young and in ideal health. Only an authoritarian would pass a law punishing citizens for their individual medical decisions.

The way New York City and the state of New York handled COVID should alarm its citizens, especially when you compare it to Florida. Had Durant, Harden, and Irving joined forces on the Miami Heat or Orlando Magic, they would have avoided New York’s vaccine insanity and high taxes. They would be a title contender.

Creative people and innovators are fleeing New York and California for Texas and Florida. Elon Musk and Tesla abandoned California for Texas. Joe Rogan escaped California. Led by New York City, the state of New York has suffered record population loss since the start of the COVID pandemic. In a 12-month period, 3.5 percent of NYC’s population migrated elsewhere.

With the uncertainty of COVID and other viruses, why would any elite athlete choose to play in New York? The city’s leaders have learned nothing from the pandemic. Eric Adams, the new mayor, is capable of repeating every mistake de Blasio made. Why wouldn’t he? He won’t be held accountable by corporate media.

Bill de Blasio enacted a nonsensical policy, and all season we listened to sports pundits berate Irving for refusing to follow it. Irving stood on moral principle and sacrificed a season. He’s the closet thing we’ve ever seen to Muhammad Ali. Too bad the media didn’t rally to support him.

Trevor Noah SHOCKED that policies he supports create bizarre outcomes



Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" spoke about NBA star and Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving and the COVID policies that have kept the athlete from doing his job.

In this clip, Dave explained that despite Kyrie Irving setting a career high and franchise record of 60 points during a recent game, Kyrie didn't score any points at his last home game in NYC. Why? Because of ignorant public policy, of course.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams' vaccine mandate requires that people be vaccinated before returning to their workplaces. NYC has since lifted the vaccine mandate for events. So, while Kyrie is prevented from playing ball, he can attend home games as a fan.

Dave observed that if Trevor Noah notices the absurdity of Adams' COVID policy, all is not lost on "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah. In the past, Trevor has gone on record to say that "vaccine mandates work." Now that Trevor sees the absurdity of NYC's vaccine mandate, the question is, will he realize that what Kyrie is going through is a direct result of the public policy he supports?

Dave explained that while it is great that Trevor Noah is not a complete idiot, we can't forget his record.

Watch the clip for more from Dave. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.



.

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Kyrie Irving Told He Can't Play; He Shocks Fans with His Next Move | Direct Message | Rubin Report

Kyrie Irving Told He Can't Play; He Shocks Fans with His Next Move | Direct Message | Rubin Report

‘Asinine Dishonest Theater’: Sen. Ted Cruz Rips The NBA Fining The Nets For Breaking City Vaccine Mandate

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'It just looks stupid': Unvaxxed NBA star Kyrie Irving can't play Brooklyn Nets' home games over city mandate — but can sit courtside and unmasked in home arena



Brooklyn Nets' star Kevin Durant — who dropped 53 points in a home game against the New York Knicks on Sunday — is asking New York City Mayor Eric Adams why unvaccinated teammate Kyrie Irving is barred from playing in Brooklyn's home games but is allowed to watch his team's home games in the Nets' arena, ESPN reported.

Which is exactly what Irving did Sunday. In fact, Irving sat at a courtside seat, the network said.

What are the details?

"It's ridiculous," Durant said after the game. "I don't understand it at all. There's a few people in our arena that's unvaxxed, right? They lifted all of that in our arena, right? So I don't get it ... I don't get it. It just feels like at this point now, somebody's trying to make a statement or a point to flex their authority. But everybody out here is looking for attention, and that's what I feel like the mayor wants right now, is some attention. But he'll figure it out soon. He better."

Durant added, "But it just didn't make any sense. There's unvaxxed people in this building already. We got a guy who can come in the building, I guess, are they fearing our safety? I don't get it. We're all confused. Pretty much everybody in the world is confused at this point. Early on in the season people didn't understand what was going on, but now it just looks stupid. So hopefully, Eric, you got to figure this out."

What's more, Nets' coach Steve Nash said Irving was with the team in the locker room at halftime and added that he didn't understand the city rules enough to explain why Irving could be on the floor and in the locker room but barred from sitting on the bench with his teammates.

Durant also told the mayor that he has to "figure something out, man, because it's looking crazy. Especially on national TV, and [Irving] can come to the game, but not play — come on, man. Hey, yo, Eric."

What else?

It's not as though Irving is completely barred from playing — when the Nets are on the road, he can play, and he has been. It's just the pesky New York City mandate that's keeping him from playing home games.

What's more, the Daily Wire pointed out that the night before the Knicks game, Irving attended the ACC Championship Game between Duke and Virginia Tech at Barclays Center — the Nets' home arena.

So why wasn't he allowed the next day to move down a few feet, suit up, and play for the Nets in the same arena? It's a question that even iconic opponent LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers posed:

FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we\u2019d all have it. Ain\u2019t that the truth. #FreeKyriehttps://twitter.com/cuffsthelegend/status/1503033007506182145\u00a0\u2026
— LeBron James (@LeBron James) 1647195237

“This law in New York, the oddity of it to me is that it only applies to home players," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told WABC-TV. "I think if ultimately that rule is about protecting people who are in the arena, it just doesn't quite make sense to me that an away player who is unvaccinated can play in Barclays but the home player can't. To me that's a reason they should take a look at that ordinance"

How was Kyrie Irving able to sit court-side in Nets' win vs. Knicks? | NBA Todayyoutu.be

Black Lives Matter stage vaccine mandate protest at NYC's Barclays Center to demand unvaccinated Kyrie Irving be able to play NBA games



Hundreds of demonstrators staged a protest against vaccine mandates on Sunday at the Barclays Center in New York City. The protesters – which included Black Lives Matter supporters – demanded that the Brooklyn Nets allow superstar Kyrie Irving to be able to play in NBA games despite being unvaccinated.

Demonstrators called for an end to New York City's vaccine mandate, and carried signs that read: "End medical mandates" and "No digital passports." There were also protesters supporting the Nets basketball player with "Stand with Kyrie" signs.

The crowd of protesters was extremely diverse, with conservatives with American, Gadsden, and "F*** Biden" flags, along with Black Lives Matter supporters, and a woman with a "Vegan unvaxxed" sign.

hundreds of anti vaccine mandate protesters take over Atlantic Ave near Barclays Center showing support for Kyrie I… https://t.co/LTIqwNX46i

— eric thomas (@justericthomas) 1635101684.0

The protesters marched to the Barclays Center – where the Nets played on Sunday without Irving and lost at home to the visiting Charlotte Hornets.

Earlier this month, the Brooklyn Nets banned Irving from playing in all games and participating in practices because he is unvaccinated against COVID-19. New York City's draconian health guideline requires everyone to be vaccinated to enter indoor gyms. Kyrie was still eligible to play in away games, but the Nets barred him from all games.

The NBA ruled that unvaccinated players banned from playing games must forfeit their salary. If Irving misses the season because he doesn't get vaccinated against COVID-19, the seven-time All-Star and NBA champion stands to lose his entire $35 million salary this season.

Members of the Black Lives Matter of Greater New York organization participated in the protest against the vaccine mandate. Hawk Newsome – the co-founder and chairman of the group – led protesters in chants of "My body, my choice" and "Let Kyrie play!"

Black lives matter shut down the Barkley center in Brooklyn in support of Kyrie Irving. And chant " LET Kyrie play… https://t.co/ygurak6dti

— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) 1635114559.0

Some of the protesters knocked down barricades and attempt to storm the Barclays Center but were turned away by security.

Anti-mandate Protesters breaking through barricades to Barclay's Center, people chanted "I'm with Kyrie" l https://t.co/HqE2ZzRLBW

— Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) 1635104627.0

Protesters against mandates team up with BLM In support of Kylie Irving and storm the doors of the Barclay's center… https://t.co/nqohSVbOyO

— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) 1635104352.0

The clash between protesters and security caused the Barclays Center to temporarily shutter its doors about an hour before Sunday's Nets game.

"Barclays Center briefly closed its doors today in order to clear protestors from the main doors on the plaza and ensure guests could safely enter the arena. Only ticketed guests were able to enter the building and the game proceeded according to schedule," Mandy Gutmann, a Barclays Center spokesperson, told CNN in a statement.

The New York Police Department's press office said no arrests were made.

Protesters Break Through Barricades at Barclay's Center to Protest Mandates www.youtube.com

Last month at a BLM protest in New York City against vaccine mandates, Newsome declared, "We are not anti-vaxxers. Some of us are vaccinated. It's an individual's choice. No one should be forced to put something in their body."

Chivona Newsome – a fellow co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York – threatened an "uprising" to the likes seen across the country following the George Floyd murder over vaccine mandates that she proclaimed to be "racist."

Whitlock: 'Straight black men are coming out of the closet as REAL men'



In this clip, "Fearless" host Jason Whitlock expressed hope for the future of men in America.

According to Jason, men are coming out of the closet constructed by the matriarchy to tame, house, and emasculate black men over the last six decades.

Jason cited specific events that occurred throughout history that he believes taught black men to be subservient to black women.

"Black men were the first casualties who were forced to apologize for their maleness," Jason explained.

Jason noted his newly found hope in the future for men as athletes and comedians are taking a stand against politically correct culture. A culture that, according to Jason, has held men down for decades.

Watch the clip for more details. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.


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