Charles Barkley calls Kyrie Irving an ‘idiot’ for his tweets: “He should have been suspended, Adam Silver should have suspended him”
As one of the most influential players in the NBA right now, Kyrie Irving's actions could encourage fans to follow his lead. Following his recent social media post that caused controversy, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley shared his views on the matter.
Kyrie Irving has never backed down from sharing his opinions on certain matters. However, that has become the cause of the backlash he's currently receiving. A few days ago, the Brooklyn Nets guard promoted a controversial film titled "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America" on Twitter.
NBA legend Charles Barkley shared his take on the matter on "Inside the NBA." Chuck wasn't impressed with the way the league handled the situation. The former MVP believes that Irving should face reasonable consequences for the recent events that involved him:
"I think the NBA dropped the ball. I think he should have been suspended. I think Adam [Silver] should've suspended him. First of all, Adam's Jewish. I think the NBA, they made a mistake. We have suspended people and fined people who have made homophobic slurs, and that was the right thing to do!"
“I think he should have been suspended.”
Chuck reacts to Kyrie Irving’s social media posts promoting an antisemitic film https://t.co/IOLVVrSv0l
Barkley added:
"I can't believe that we ain't talking about bastketball. We're talking about this idiot. ... When you're somebody that's great at basketball like him, people gon' listen to what you say."
Nets owner Joe Tsai brought everyone's attention to Irving's post after calling him out on Twitter:
"I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation. I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion."
I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation. I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion.
After Tsai's tweet went viral, Irving was asked about it. During a postgame interview, ESPN's Nick Friedell asked a few questions about Irving's intentions in promoting the problematic film. The seven-time All-Star wasn't amused by the questions that led to him walking out of the interview.
So far, the league hasn't released a statement concerning Kyrie Irving. If he is to be suspended, it'll be another blow to the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving's efforts aren't enough for the Nets
With the exception of the Brooklyn Nets' recent bout against the Chicago Bulls, Kyrie Irving has done extraordinary work on the basketball court. Along with Kevin Durant, they've tried their best to win games, but it hasn't worked out well for them.
In the Nets' first seven games of the season, Irving averaged 30.1 points, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals. In addition, he's been shooting the ball over 47% from the field and 30% from downtown. Although his numbers from beyond the arc aren't the best, he's still able to contribute big time on offense.
Despite all this, the team hasn't had any success. They're currently in 13th place in the Eastern Conference and their rival, the New York Knicks, have a better record than them and are in seventh position.
The Nets front office have also tried to address their losing situation by firing Steve Nash as their coach. Before their game against the Chicago Bulls, the team announced that Jacque Vaughn will be their interim coach.
Clearly, there's trouble in Brooklyn. Even with the talents of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they've failed to have a winning record to start the season.