Kyrie Irving's social media posts linking to an antisemitic film drew an uproar in the past week. The guard's heated press conference Saturday in which he stood by the posts, along with the absence of punishment from the Brooklyn Nets, led to further outrage.

Brooklyn did not make Irving available to the media on Monday or Tuesday with General Manager Sean Marks saying the organization wanted to give the guard a chance to “simmer down” and “let cooler heads prevail.” The Nets addressed the controversy Wednesday in a joint statement with Irving and the Anti-Defamation League.

“I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility,” Irving said. “I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles. I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen.”

Irving and the Nets will each donate $500,000 toward “causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities”. Both will also continue work with the ADL in “an effort to develop educational programming that is inclusive and will comprehensively combat all forms of antisemitism and bigotry.”

“There is no room for antisemitism, racism, false narratives or misguided attempts to create animosity and hate,” said Sam Zussman, Chief Executive Officer of BSE Global, parent company of the Nets and Barclays Center. “Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need to ensure education in these areas. We are putting our prior statements into practice because actions speak louder than words.”

The Nets, New York Liberty and the teams’ affiliated organizations will host a series of community conversations at Barclays Center in partnership with ADL, other national civil rights organizations, and local community associations. The events will focus on creating “a sustainable and meaningful impact in driving awareness and education on the important topics of hatred based on race, ethnicity, and religion.”

Brooklyn finds itself in controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving for the third-straight year. The seven-time All-Star took a pair of extended absences during the 2020-21 season. He then missed over half of last season while refusing to comply with New York's workplace vaccine mandate. All of this led to the Nets' refusal to offer Irving a fully-guaranteed, long-term contract this offseason.

The Nets are off to a 2-6 start to the season. Brooklyn will hold practice tomorrow before traveling to Washington and Charlotte later this week.