NBA star Kyrie Irving suspended over antisemitic movie
NBA star Kyrie Irving will face suspension after he shared a link to the movie, “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” to his social media page.
The Brooklyn Nets are expected to suspend Irving for at least five games, according to a statement released by the team.
Last week, Irving was at the center of controversy after tweeting a link to the movie that many consider antisemitic. On Wednesday, Irving and the Nets each pledged to donate $500,000 toward organizations pushing to eradicate hate.
Irving has since taken responsibility of the tweet but did not explicitly apologize for the post.
“I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day,” Irving said in a joint statement with the Nets and Anti-Defamation League earlier in the week. “I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility.”
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On Thursday, the Nets slammed Irving in a statement, saying the team was “dismayed” the star guard did not explicitly tell the media he has no antisemitic beliefs.
“Such failure to dissociate with 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,” Nets said in a statement. The Nets did not specify when the team expects to bring Irving back.