NBA star Kyrie Irving has been slammed by former NFL legend Shannon Sharpe amid the fallout after the Brooklyn Nets guard posted a link to an antisemitic film.
Last week, the seven-time NBA All-Star took to social media to tweet out an Amazon link to a three hour movie titled ‘Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America’. Rolling Stone reported the 2018 film is littered with ‘antisemitic tropes’, which led Brooklyn management to act fast and distance themselves from his actions.
Irving has courted controversy in the past, notably with his stance over the Covid vaccine, which led to long stretches of ineligibility to play or even practice with the Nets due to the New York City Covid vaccine mandate. The former Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers star was also reportedly an advocate of flat earth theory, although he later apologised.
Even just last month, Irving shared a video by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from 2002 to his Instagram story. The video - titled ‘Never Forget - Alex Jones Tried To Warn Us’ - refers to a 'New World Order' that would 'release plagues'.
However, Irving’s stance as a very public conspiracy theorist has been strongly condemned by FOX Sports analyst and NFL Hall of Famer Sharpe. On his FOX Sports 1 show Undisputed along with Skip Bayless, Sharpe tore into Irving and accused him of wanting to be a ‘martyr’ without suffering the same consequences.
“What bothers me when people say things - especially derogatory about the jewish religion or slavery - is when people say, ‘let's take him to the holocaust museum, let's take him to the black history museum about slavery’,” Sharpe said. “If you're as smart as you think you are, you should already understand about slavery and the holocaust.
“You should understand your words and the impact they're going to have on people. Why should I take him to somewhere where, if he's as smart as you'll have people believe, you'll already know that.
“Kyrie thinks he's smart, he wants to be throwing out these conspiracy theories. Even if you take him to these places, it's not like that's all of a sudden what he's going to believe in. He has to have a theory so no truth can change his mind, because otherwise he looks foolish.
“Do you remember during the pandemic when - and I believe his mother is Native American - he went to a reserve unvaccinated and unmasked? He thought he was doing something noble.
I may not believe in the vaccine, but if I had a loved one who was compromised, I would be foolish. These people are compromised. Kyrie didn't care.
“Kyrie wants to be a leader, he thinks he's a leader. But don't ask him any questions, don't dehumanise him. I don't think he knows what dehumanising means. Kyrie frustrates me. He's such a tremendous basketball player, and I get it, but I don't get it. I don't get his angle, I don't get what he's trying to accomplish. He wants to be a martyr, but doesn't want anything that comes along with being a martyr.”
Sharpe was particularly incensed by Irving standing up for people who lost their jobs amid the Covid pandemic - seeing as he recently signed a new contract worth $33million (£28.7m).
Irving has impressed despite the Nets’ slow start to the season, averaging 30.1 points while also putting in work defensively. However, Brooklyn have just two wins through their opening seven games, ending a run of four successive defeats with a win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
The NBA star has insisted he isn't anti-semitic, saying: " I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone's religious beliefs. The 'Anti-Semitic' label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions."
