Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who tweeted a link last Thursday to a film widely viewed as antisemitic, deleted that tweet on Sunday night after a combative exchange with reporters on Saturday, then didn’t speak to the media before or after Monday’s win over Indiana. Head coach Steve Nash said prior to Monday’s game that he views the controversy surrounding Irving as “an opportunity for us to grow and understand new perspectives,” according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.
“I think the organization is trying to take that stance where we can communicate through this,” Nash said. “And try to all come out in a better position and (have) both more understanding and more empathy for every side of this debate and situation.”
As Friedell writes, Nash declined to say whether the Nets considered any disciplinary action for Irving, telling reporters that he wasn’t involved in internal conversations about the issue, since he’s been focused on coaching the team.
While the Nets may want to simply move on from the situation, eight fans who sat courtside on Monday wore shirts that read “Fight Antisemitism” and directed comments at Irving during the game, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. One season-ticket holder, Aaron Jungreis, told Friedell that he thought the team should suspend Irving.
“I hope he realizes how much antisemitism he is stoking by putting out (a link to) a film like this,” Jungreis said. “Which is extremely anti-Jewish. And I hope he comes to his senses. … I think he should be suspended and he should understand what he did, but I don’t know if they will.”
Here’s more on Irving and the Nets:
- Irving’s behavior, which could once be considered quirky or eccentric, has crossed the line to dangerous, argues Jesse Washington of Andscape, writing that the NBA and/or the Nets should seriously consider consequences to hold Irving accountable. Dan Wolken of USA Today and Eric Koreen of The Athletic make similar cases in columns of their own, while Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post goes a step further, opining that Brooklyn should part ways with the standout guard. Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, meanwhile, contends that Irving wants the influence of leadership, but none of the responsibility that comes along with it.
- The Nets held a players-only meeting following Saturday’s loss to Indiana and followed that up with a win on Monday over the Pacers, snapping a four-game losing streak. “Honestly, talk is cheap. Everybody in the organization, we’ve just been pissed off,” starting center Nic Claxton said after Monday’s victory, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “We want to be better. So I don’t know (if the meeting had an impact). But everybody being on the same page today, that’s what matters.”
- Within the same SNY.tv story, Begley says the Nets have had some “cursory” trade talks with at least one Western Conference team since the regular season began, underscoring the sense of urgency the team was feeling to start winning games following a slow start.
- In a detailed story for ESPN, Friedell takes a look at how the Nets have yo-yo’d back and forth from a tumultuous offseason to an optimistic preseason to a bumpy, drama-filled regular season.
- Ben Simmons will miss a second consecutive game for Brooklyn on Tuesday vs. Chicago due to left knee soreness, the team announced today (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Andscape). Seth Curry (left ankle injury management) also remains sidelined.
- Yuta Watanabe‘s full-season salary is still non-guaranteed, but he’s seeing an increased role as of late off the bench for the Nets, knocking down 5-of-7 three-pointers in his last four games. “We’ve always really liked him,” Nash said of Watanabe, who played 22 minutes in Monday’s win (link via Alex Schiffer of The Athletic). “He’s a basketball player. The way he handles the pass, makes shots and he’s a smart defender. I thought he did a good job with the scouting report. You could see him use that to his advantage in one-on-one situations, and he adds dimension to our team as we’re trying to get bodies back in the lineup. It’s really important to have players like that who step in and do multiple things.”
I don’t get it. Be mad at the guy who made the movie, not the guy who tweeted a link. Everyone is always so upset…at something.
Because he has more of an audience than the guy that made the movie, thus spreading misinformation amongst more ppl. Also, Kyrie, sadly has more influence than most ppl. It’s gone from “what an idiot” type of things he says, to very anti-Semitic and harmful things. So yeah, I’m going to be pissed about a guy that has a huge following sharing how to “seek knowledge” from a movie that claims the Holocaust as being one of 6 “big lies” and freely quoting Hitler.
So hold on … Kyrie draws an increasing amount of attention to a piece of media that denies the Holocaust, and that piece of media remains available for public consumption and … you’re defending that? So you think movies that deny the Holocaust should be available for sale on Amazon?
Bc given that Kyrie has more of an audience than the writer … now MORE people will inevitably see what this book/movie is about – doesn’t that make it MORE pertinent to ban it?
FTR, I’m not going to the trouble of reading the book or watching the movie, but just on principle it seems like either:
A) Kyrie should get a rash of s**t AND the holocaust denial movie is taken down off Amazon
or:
B) the movie doesn’t actually make those claims and is instead just another entry in the long line of (x) ethnicity was actually originally black, and this is all another entry in the long line of people being outraged for dubious reasons.
Yeah, let’s only be made at the people who make racist media. The people who consume, disseminate and promote it are quality
Someone with a username “sorrynotsorry” doesn’t get it. I’m shocked.
“I don’t get it”
Obviously.
No, you definitely don’t get it Curtisrowe
“And that’s a fact”
Wow, you sure got me there.
Zing.
“Be mad at Hitler, not all the people who followed him”
Can’t say that restricting free speech is high on my list. Since when did everybody have to be part of the same knowledge pool in order for the world to be a better & more informed place? (Including the NBA & its employees) Don’t like it? Don’t watch it, or read it, or listen to it. Let inquiring minds worry, and decide. Problem solved.
Who mentioned restricting free speech? Just you.
So, let’s get this clear. Not to pick on him, but if, say, Nikola Jokic posted a tweet saying that slavery had its good points or that the Civil War was a hoax, would he still be in the league? How about if he was quoting the KKK?
And before you talk about rights, ask yourself how long you would keep your job at any big corporation if you spouted this vile nonsense.
I think that there is a bias in the league, frankly, to ignore some biases and not others. Anti semitism is not uncommon in the black community, despite Jews being an important part of civil rights history in this country.
However, it does seem that the NBA considers one kind of bigotry less harmful than another. Kyrie should be suspended or fined, and yes, I know about the first amendment, which protects your speech but not your job.
Again, imagine if this were anti black propaganda, how long would it take for the player to be removed from the league?
Kyrie is not simply ‘stupid’ he is now promoting hate and lies.
Again, he has too much free time. This is a guy who actually believed the earth was flat. He watches Alex Jones and thinks he is some cutting edge thinker. I guess his instagram wife just doesn’t keep his attention. What a clown.
Will Ben ever be truly available?
Kyrie is the worst.
Disagree he is the worst, he is just a hypocrite
Every opinion online should be considered worthless by all, and we should teach our kids that everything online is never to be taken seriously because we are all idiots, but kyrie just can’t post that link and then take til Sunday to delete
Let me get Mike Meyers to stand beside me before I say this…
“The NBA does not care about Jewish people”
The talks are with the Thunder first for sure. To many picks piled up. They figure in anything as a result.
I made a strong case for Durant to go there back in the summer. It was well received.
Kyrie and Cam Thomas for Westbrook would be a cinch if that occurs.
It’s likely Kyrie is headed to the Lakers Anyway. When LeBron is happy the Lakers are happy.
That’s is the only reason they played like that the other night.
Ben Simmons out with a sore back bone