CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The conspicuous silence from NBA players over Kyrie Irving’s promotion of an anti-Semitic movie and book is starting to change – including the league’s union, biggest star and player most affected now speaking out.
Irving was suspended by the Nets on Thursday night after repeated refusals to apologize, testy exchanges with the media and a lack of dialogue with the organization, including reportedly not responding to texts from team owner Joe Tsai.
Now if Irving wants to play, he’s going to have to meet face-to-face with NBA commissioner Adam Silver as well as Jewish leaders. The NBPA wants to address the issue with Irving as well, according to Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, who – like Irving – is a union vice president.
“I think we will but currently, there are a lot of matters as well,” Williams told MassLive. “I think we’ll get together as a group potentially — everything has been through the team. It has been not been a league issue to this point. It hasn’t been an NBA/NBPA issue. The Nets and the league have taken care of that and dealing with Kyrie and the process there. We don’t have much control on that matter.”
The NBPA has staunchly supported Irving in the past over other situations. Its power could have played a role in the Nets willingly paying Irving for the road games he was sent home for last season while unvaccinated. But the union released a statement earlier this week condemning anti-Semitism and hate speech – and Irving’s former Cavaliers teammate, LeBron James, expressed the same sentiment.
“I don’t condone any hate to any kind. To any race. To Jewish communities, to black communities, to Asian communities. You guys know where I stand,” James said Friday night.
Last month, James’ digital media company, Uninterrupted, decided not to air an episode of his YouTube talk show, “The Shop,” featuring Ye because of anti-Semitic comments by the former Kanye West.
Ye has repeatedly supported Irving’s recent stance, one controversial enough that Nike suspended its relationship with the point guard.
“There’s no place in this world for [hate speech]. Nobody can benefit from that, and I believe what Kyrie did caused some harm to a lot of people,” James said after the Lakers’ 130-116 loss to the Jazz on Friday night.
“He caused some harm, and I think it’s unfortunate. But I don’t stand on the position to harm people when it comes to your voice or your platform or anything. So it doesn’t matter what color your skin is, how tall you are, what position you’re in. If you are promoting or soliciting or saying harmful things to any community that harms people, then I don’t respect it. I don’t condone it.”
In their first game without the suspended Irving, the Nets rolled to a 128-86 win in Washington. Afterward, Wizards forward Deni Avdija – who is from Israel and is believed to be the only Jewish player in the NBA – spoke on the situation.
“[Irving] is a role model, he’s a great player. I think he [made] a mistake. But you need to understand that he gives [an] example to people. People look up to him,” Avdija said. “You can think whatever you want, you can do whatever you want. I don’t think it’s right to go out in public and publish it, and let little kids that follow you see it, and the generation to come after to think like that. Because it’s not true. And I don’t think it’s fair. Hopefully, he’s sorry for what he said.“I think there needs to be consequences for the actions that a player [does]. I don’t know the punishment that the league gives but I think that needs to be known that there’s no room for words like that.”
Irving served the second game of what will be at least a five-game suspension Saturday night as the Nets played the Hornets. But if Irving chooses not to go through with his various meetings — including with Silver and Jewish leaders — it’s unclear if and when he’ll play again for the Nets.