Reports: Nets and Kyrie Irving have jointly agreed to donate $500,000 towards Anti-Defamation League as reparation for their recent controversies
Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday issued a statement after receiving backlash for posting a link to an antisemitic movie on Twitter last week.
"I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day," Irving tweeted. “I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility. I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles.
"I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light.”
Kyrie Irving Donates $500,000
Irving and the Brooklyn Nets will also be donating $500,000 each “toward causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities.”
People are still hoping he will also issue an apology as there wasn't one in his statement.
The Brooklyn Nets have been called upon to suspend Irving or dismiss him from the team. At the moment, owner Joe Tsai doesn't seem to have the idea of doing that. However, disciplinary action could soon be levied.
In eight games this season, Irving is averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
The talent that Irving displays is one of the best in the NBA. There is no denying that. However, with his mercurial nature, there are many things that people question him about.
His Twitter post is the latest in a string of incidents that he's dealt with in the past few seasons.
Irving and the Nets (2-6) haven't found much success this season.
The team was supposed to be a juggernaut once the franchise landed Irving and Kevin Durant in 2019. Although Durant was out with an Achilles tendon for all of 2019-20, the Nets have only won one playoff series (in 2021). Last season, they were the only team to get swept in the playoffs.
Irving, who won a championship in 2016 with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, played in just 103 of 226 games in his first three seasons as a Net. He played in 29 games last season after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccination.