Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving recently issued an apology and message to the Jewish community in an interview with SNY before he returned to the court on Sunday.
Earlier this month, Irving was suspended by the Brooklyn Nets for failing to deny his support for antisemitism during a reporter’s question about posting a link to a movie that included antisemitic messages on social media.
SNY interview
Kyrie Irving Answers Questions About Links He Posted On Social Media
When asked by SNY’s Ian Begley how the past few weeks have been and the process for NBA guards, Irving said, “It’s been a learning journey to be honest with you. A lot of pain to heal, a lot of conversations to have, and a lot of reflection.”
He continued by explaining, “And I got a chance to do it with some great people from the Jewish community, from the black community, from the white community. I have had many conversations with all our races and cultures and religious groups just trying to find a better perspective on how to live a more harmonious life. I am a man who defends peace. I don’t allow any hate speech or any prejudice and I don’t want to be in a position where I’m misunderstood about my position in terms of antisemitism or any hatred for that matter to anyone in the world.”
Kyrie Irving – Instagram
Kyrie Irving Got A Lot Of Important Conversations Over The Last Few Weeks
Irving said the conversations he’s had over the past few weeks have been “very moving, very impactful” but he didn’t want to go into too much detail about those conversations. “It helped me become more aware of the repairs that needed to be done, the healing that still needed to be done. Here I’m just really acknowledging the fact that it’s not easy. Some of it has been painful,” he said.
Begley said that many people stood with Irving and said he did not have any “anti-Jewish ideas,” and then asked if he was antisemitic. “No, I am not antisemitic. I never. I have no hatred in my heart against Jews or anyone who identifies as a Jew. I’m not anti-Jewish or anything like that,” he said.
“And it’s hard to sit at home with my family with them seeing all this and having questions and the part that’s not hard is explaining myself because I know who I am, I know who I represent. But I think the difficult aspect is just processing all of this, understanding the power of my voice, the influence that I have. I am not anyone’s idol, but I am a human being who wants to make an impact and make a difference. I apologize, not only to the Jewish community, but to my family members and to my relatives because they know I stand for something bigger and I am grateful now that I can explain myself.”
Kyrie Irving – Instagram
NBA Guard Clarifies His Thoughts On Early Social Media Posts
Irving said he wanted to focus on the hurt he caused and wanted to apologize profusely for his actions all along rather than posting a link to the film in the first place. “I am very sorry for having to be used as an example of what not to do in dealing with all this. I just want to deal with it better now,” he said.
The Nets star also explained that his intention with the initial social media post was to share with those who are on the same journey as he searches for his legacy. He said that the antisemitic remarks in the documentary were an “unfortunate aspect.” “That is not the aspect of the position that I want to focus on,” he explained. “The initial release should be for all those who are looking for more information, more history, and can interpret it in a way that they see it as progressive, and they learn something from it.”
MEGA
Brooklyn Nets Stars Want to “Move Our World Forward”
Irving said he now understands that some things were meant to be clarified, and that the post was not meant as a promotion or something he was “defending”. He said his message to the Jewish community is, “We are more alike than we realize. We have the same struggles, and I can admit it. We have so much connectedness between our cultures, and I just want that to continue.”
The NBA star issued an early apology on Instagram earlier this month following his suspension. In the past week, Irving met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Nets owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, and members of the Jewish community. Irving will return to the court on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing eight games in the past two weeks and hopes from here to “move our world forward.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
