Much has been said about what should be done regarding Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving's controversial support of what appears to be an antisemitic documentary. While the Nets brass has talked a lot about denouncing all forms of discrimination, Irving still is yet to face repercussions for his actions, and he still continues to log heavy minutes for the league's most notorious team at the moment.
This has led to former players such as Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley to have strong words for Irving, going as far as calling him an ‘idiot‘ and saying that the Nets should have suspended the 30-year old point guard at the very least. On the other hand, while Reggie Miller also voiced out his frustrations regarding Irving, he directed his ire towards Irving's peers who have remained mum throughout the entire ordeal.
“The players have dropped the ball on this case when it’s been one of their own. It’s been crickets,” Miller said during the first quarter of TNT's broadcast of the Chicago Bulls-Nets game. “And it’s disappointing, because this league has been built on the shoulders of the players being advocates. Right is right and wrong is wrong. You can’t go silent in terms of this for Kyrie Irving.”
Over the past few years, NBA stars have, by and large, been outspoken about certain social issues that have enveloped the world's collective zeitgeist. In years past, NBA stars such as LeBron James have spoken up when it comes to racial issues that affect the Black community.
In fact, James was one of the foremost voices that called for a harsher punishment for former Phoenix Suns governor Robert Sarver after an investigation found him guilty of making racist and misogynist remarks, while he was also vocal during the Donald Sterling saga in 2014.
Moreover, during the NBA bubble, there was even a debate as to whether the postseason should be shelved following the horrific shooting incident suffered by 29-year old African-American Jacob Blake.
Thus, perhaps Reggie Miller is warranted in his disappointment after seeing players of considerable influence and stature fall prey to double standards and fail to stand up for other marginalized communities.
“In years past, this league has been great because the players have led the way and they have strong voices. If you’re gonna call out owners, and rightfully so, then you’ve got to call out players as well. […] I want to hear the players and their strong opinions as well, just as we heard about Robert Sarver and Donald Sterling,” Miller added.
Perhaps the league will take action on Kyrie Irving once the marquee names in the NBA begin to push back on (what could be perceived as) the dangerous rhetoric the Nets guard appears to have endorsed. But with Irving having built friendships across the league, in addition to being one of the best performers (unlike a certain Meyers Leonard), that may not happen within the foreseeable future.
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