All-Star guard, Kyrie Irving has been suspended without pay by the Brooklyn Nets after tweeting a link to an antisemitic film, which drew criticism and ire from around the league and beyond.
After reportedly spending the last several days trying to help Irving understand the film contained "deeply disturbing antisemitic hate," the Nets said they were "dismayed" Irving had failed to say he holds no antisemitic beliefs when asked on Thursday and such a failure made him unfit to be associated with the organization.
Thursday’s press conference also caused the Anti-Defamation League to drop any pretense of burying the hatchet with Irving despite releasing a joint statement on Wednesday in which Irving took responsibility for the retweet and pledged $500,000 to fighting hate.
“We took @KyrieIrving at his word when he said he took responsibility but today he did not make good on that promise,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. “Kyrie clearly has a lot of work to do.”
Asked not once but twice whether he has anti-Semitic beliefs on Thursday, Irving responded both times, “I cannot be anti-Semitic if I know where I come from.”
Irving also failed to disavow the film’s Holocaust denial and say he was sorry, less than an hour after NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement excoriating Irving’s lack of apology in the statement with the ADL.
Based on the foregoing, the guard will reportedly be suspended until he satisfies "a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct."
The earliest Irving will be able to return is on Nov. 13 in a road game against the Los Angeles Lakers.