Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson doubled down on his support of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan with a second Instagram post Thursday while addressing the backlash of the first.
The former Sixers star explained his respect for Farrakhan while trying to explain he doesn't support anti-Semitic or homophobic views:
“I respect Louis Farrakhan’s strong voice on behalf of Black people and his impact on the Black community,” Iverson continued, explaining “My post wasn’t meant to offend anyone.”
“As one who has been a victim of racial injustice personally, I do not support or condone hatred of any kind. Specifically, I do not support anti-Semitic or homophobic views from anyone,” Iverson said. “In this moment, when all oppressed people should stand together in solidarity, we need to see each other, learn from each other and heal. We cannot stand for empowerment unless it is empowerment for ALL people. We must reject hate in any form.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCuF6lFjAWk/
Here's the initial post that caused the uproar:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCpSKHUDMOt/
Iverson noted he first met Farrakhan in 2017 by way of his son, Mustapha Farrakhan Sr., who is the supreme captain of the Nation of Islam. The Sixers legend met Mustapha during his playing days, which started their bond:
“[Farrakhan’s] family grew to love and respect me and my family and the mutual respect that we have for one another still exists to this day.”
Iverson is one of many former players who have supported celebrities with anti-Semitic views. Earlier this week it was Dwyane Wade supporting Nick Cannon, who lost his longtime show “Wild ‘N Out” after more than a decade due to anti-Semitic comments.
Cannon's employer, ViacomCBS, did not condone his unapologetic behavior and fired him, while Wade showed support for Cannon, tweeting “keep leading” before deleting the tweet and clarifying his comments.
Farrakhan's rhetoric has been repeated by the likes of Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson on Instagram, a mistake that unchained other former players to comment on the matter and later explain themselves in light of the social media backlash.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote up an op-ed decrying anti-Semitism, which drew the ire of Ice Cube, who has come under fire for his own comments.
As for Iverson, the Sixers said in a statement to Jewish Insider that they had reached out to the Hall of Famer to discuss the situation. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also provided a statement saying the league condemns “all forms of hate speech, racism or anti-Semitic behavior no matter where it comes from.”
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