Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving finds himself in hot water after showing support for an antisemitic film. While he did donate $500,000 to curb the hate on the Jewish community, the guard has still yet to actually apologize for his actions, even after NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement blasting Kyrie on Thursday.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is a well-respected figure not only in the league but on various matters across America, has broken his silence on the Irving drama. Via Kareem's Substack:
“I couldn’t be prouder of Shaq, Charles, and Reggie for their bold and straightforward comments. They are at the forefront of Black athletes that are condemning the recent antisemitic social media posts by Kyrie Irving and Ye (Kanye West). It’s a genuine ‘I am Spartacus' moment,” KAJ wrote.
“Yet, Irving has been defiant about his postings. You can read his long, rambling, at times contradictory defense here. Mostly he reveals his lack of awareness of how history works. It’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet from which you can pluck just the dishes you like without any understanding of the context.
“His inability to understand why his posts are news can be seen in this statement: “There’s things being posted every day. I’m no different from the next human being, so don’t treat me any different. You guys come in here and make up this powerful influence that I have (and say) you cannot post that. Why not? Why not?” If he really thinks someone with millions of followers spouting hate speech is the same as Jim in accounting posting on Facebook, then he really is out of step with reality.”
Kyrie Irving got put on blast. Yes, he continuously says he has nothing against Jewish people, but the refusal to apologize for his posts is a very, very bad look. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar definitely makes a point, though. Hate speech is never right but when you're a celebrity, you simply cannot take to social media and say these types of things.
Shaq, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, and now Kareem have all chimed in and said a similar thing: Irving is wrong. Perhaps the players should've echoed that sentiment, too. The gesture of half a million in donations is great, but it's not as powerful as a sincere apology. Until Kyrie does that, he'll continue to be in a negative light.
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