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Kevin Durant is the last to speak out about Kyrie Irving, saying his teammate and team Brooklyn Nets “could have just kept quiet” given the media-led “chaos”.
Irving finally apologized Thursday night for linking to an anti-Semitic film on social media last week.
The remorse came after the Nets suspended him for at least five games and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) rejected his $500,000 donation. The Nets have now told him to meet with Jewish leaders before he returns from a ban.
Irving sparked outrage by tweeting a link to the Amazon page for the 2018 film “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.” The film is based on a 2015 book of the same name, which Rolling Stone described as “toxic anti-Semitic.” ‘.
Since posting the Amazon link to the film on Twitter, Irving has rowed with the media, telling reporters, “I’m not going to stop doing something I believe in.” He did delete the post on Sunday without explanation.
Kevin Durant (L) has spoken out about the role of the media in the Kyrie Irving controversy
Durant clarified his comments on social media after his discussion with the media
After days of competing statements from Irving, the Nets, team owner Joe Tsai and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the club suspended the All-Star for at least five games on Thursday.
The Anti-Defamation League also turned down a proposed $500,000 donation from Irving, saying he “feels no responsibility for his actions.”
And now Irving’s teammate Durant has shared his take on the saga and expressed his frustration at the situation.
“I’m not here to judge anyone or talk about life or how they make up their minds,” he told reporters on Friday.
“I just didn’t like what happened. I felt like it wasn’t necessary at all. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.
Irving sparked controversy for publishing 2018 film ‘Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America’ on social media with link to Amazon page
“This is the way the NBA is now, the media, so many outlets now and their stories are coming in pretty quickly now,” he said. “So that’s where all the chaos comes from. Everyone has an opinion about the situation and we hear it non-stop.’
He then clarified his comments on Twitter, following some reaction from fans who felt his quote was missing, by posting: “I want to clarify the statements I made during shootaround, I see some people are confused. I approve of hate speech or anti-semetism, I am always about spreading love. Our game unites people and I want to make sure it comes first [sic].’
Irving apologized late Thursday night for linking to the film on Twitter. In an Instagram statement, Irving said: “To all the Jewish families and communities who have been hurt and affected by my post, I am deeply sorry for hurting you and my apologies.
“I initially reacted emotionally to being unfairly labeled as anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish brothers and sisters who were hurt by the hateful comments in the documentary.
Irving finally apologized Thursday night for linking to an anti-Semitic film on social media
“I had no intention of disparaging or perpetuating hatred of any Jewish cultural history related to the Holocaust. I learn from this unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between all of us. I am no different from any other human being. I am a seeker of truth and knowledge, and I know who I am.’
Nets chief executive Sean Marks said Irving’s apology on Friday was a “step in the right direction.”
The New Zealander stressed that he hopes Irving will meet with Jewish leaders before he can return. Marks also said he has not considered releasing Irving.
The Nets released an angry and frustrated statement earlier on Thursday night, saying the decision to suspend Irving stemmed from his continued lack of apologies, the latest refusal following a disastrous media crackdown on Thursday.
“We have decided that Kyrie will face a no-payment suspension until he complies with a set of objective corrective actions that address the harmful effects of his conduct and the suspension period is not less than five games,” Nets’ statement read in part.
“When given the opportunity in a media session today, we were stunned that Kyrie refused to state unequivocally that he has no anti-Semitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This wasn’t the first time he’d had the chance—but he failed—to clarify.
“Such a failure to reject anti-Semitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, goes against the values of our organization and constitutes behavior that is harmful to the team. Therefore, we believe he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
Although Irving has denied promoting the film, “Hebrews to Negroes” has become hugely popular since last week’s Twitter post. The film is currently Amazon’s bestseller in ethnic studies, and alternate versions or sequels currently occupy six of the next 10 places on that list, according to Front Office Sports.