The Brooklyn Nets have announced they are “disappointed” in Kyrie Irving after the NBA superstar’s promotion of an antisemitic film and book.
Irving promoted “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America”, reports Rolling Stone, with the movie “stuffed with antisemitic tropes.”
Irving’s act has seen Nets owner Joe Tsai publicly condemn his player, with a statement reading: “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.”
The latest controversy surrounding Irving comes after the 30-year-old posted a tweet on Thursday linking out to the film’s Amazon page.
“The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech,” a statement statement read on Friday.
“We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue. We thank those, including the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), who have been supportive during this time.”
With the Nets in action on Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers, Irving has since tweeted: “The Light is beginning to Dawn”.
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 practice with his team due to the New York City Covid vaccine mandate.
While the former Boston Celtics point guard was also an advocate of the flat earth theory before later apologising.
