Irving apologizes in first TV interview
Brooklyn guard was suspended in October for tweeting link to antisemitic movie
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who has been suspended since Nov. 3, said during a television interview published Saturday that he wanted to “apologize deeply” for his posting of a link to an antisemitic film.
“I’m not antisemitic,” Irving told SNY, a local New York outlet, in his first at-length interview since his suspension from the team. “I never have been. I don’t have hate in my heart for the Jewish people or anyone that identifies as a Jew. I’m not anti-Jewish or any of that.”
Irving, who spoke through videoconferencing, reflected on his absence from basketball and the widespread criticism of his behavior after his post on Twitter, saying he now understands “the power of my voice, the influence that I have.”
“I’m no one’s idol, but I am a human being that wants to make impact and change. In order to do that, I have to live responsibly and set a greater example for our youth, for my generation and the older generation,” he said. “So I just think I really want to focus on the hurt that I caused or the impact that I made within the Jewish community.”
On Oct. 27, Irving posted a link on Twitter to a 2018 film called Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a movie driven by antisemitic tropes, including false assertions about the Holocaust. The tweet was eventually deleted.
In multiple combative news conferences with reporters, Irving declined to apologize for posting the video and to say directly whether he had antisemitic views, spurring widespread outrage and criticism within and beyond NBA circles. He also said during one of those appearances that he believed in a “new world order” conspiracy theory pushed by Infowars broadcaster Alex Jones.
In the video of the interview published Saturday, Irving was asked about his views on Jews but not about Jones or his suspension — and potential return — to the sport.
Shortly after the interview was published, the Nets upgraded Irving’s status to “questionable” for Sunday’s game, which is a designation typically given to a player working his way back from an injury whose status has yet to be finalized. The Nets are slated to host the Memphis Grizzlies and that Irving was mentioned in the team’s status report could indicate his suspension is coming to an end.
“Kyrie took ownership of his journey and had conversations with several members of the Jewish community,” the Nets said in a statement. “We are pleased that he is going about the process in a meaningful way.”
Since the suspension, Irving, 30, lost a shoe deal with Nike, and his future with the Nets was thrown into doubt. He apologized in an Instagram post after the suspension was announced, but the team’s general manager, Sean Marks, said on Nov. 4 that the apology wasn’t enough.