Kyrie Irving, who is nothing more than a contrarian with a crossover, cannot be trusted to lead a pedestrian across the street, much less an NBA franchise in a borough of the nation’s largest city. Yet there he stood — noted anti-vaxxer, suspected antisemite, overexposed anti-logic windbag — in a position to hijack attention and humiliate a league that has gone to great lengths to promote social equality.
Delusional, defiant Kyrie Irving is a stain the NBA could no longer ignore
For nearly a week, he failed to muster the humility to quell his latest controversy, and this time he stirred something far more dangerous than the usual Kyrie nonsense. Given ample time, Irving wouldn’t apologize for posting a link on Twitter to a movie and book that contains atrocious misinformation about Jewish people. He dared his employer, the Brooklyn Nets, to show him that he’s not his own boss. On Thursday night, the Nets finally ended the ludicrous standoff and suspended Irving.
He will be gone for at least five games without pay. The Nets prolonged the pain and shame of this incident with their indecision, but in the end they were forceful in declaring Irving “currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
After several days of defiance and silence, Irving had accepted “responsibility” for his actions in an interview with reporters, talked in generalities about his respect for all people and released a joint statement with the Nets and the Anti-Defamation League in which he and the team each pledged $500,000 (the ADL later said it would not accept Irving’s donation). But he danced around direct questions about whether he had antisemitic beliefs.
Just minutes before Irving spoke Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver strongly expressed his disappointment that Irving had yet to make an “unqualified apology.” Still, as Irving stood in front of microphones, cameras and recorders, he stopped short of saying sorry. The Nets realized they had given him enough chances to show sincere remorse.
“We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film,” the team said in a statement. “This was not the first time he had the opportunity — but failed — to clarify. Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
Irving didn’t relent until late Thursday night — after the Nets had announced the punishment. At last, Irving posted an apology on Instagram. All along, Brooklyn had wanted to slap Irving on the wrist. He was too stubborn to extend his hand until it was too late.
A man who takes so long to apologize — especially in this climate, when hatred of Jews is reinfecting society at an alarming level — is a troubling public figure. Irving has spent the past five years ruining the teams he has played for, espousing conspiracy theories and drifting into a narcissistic bubble. He has gone from a seemingly innocuous flat-Earther to a troubling coronavirus vaccine critic to a promoter of antisemitic tropes. Kanye West just got canceled for making vicious antisemitic remarks, yet Irving didn’t have the awareness to steer clear of posting that link. His behavior couldn’t go unchecked. He was sabotaging his team and the integrity of the entire NBA.
The Nets had punted on leadership all week. Owner Joe Tsai condemned the Twitter post, but initially he declined to suspend or fine Irving. The pledged donation was an admirable gesture, but it didn’t really ask anything of Irving, who exercised a $37 million player option for this season with the Nets. There is no rehabilitation in writing a check.
Sean Marks, Brooklyn’s general manager, exemplified the Nets’ feckless approach when he spoke after the team parted ways with Steve Nash as coach. Marks had been a promising team architect until he got into the Kyrie business. Since acquiring Irving and Kevin Durant in 2019, the Nets have lost their way while trying to appease their stars.
Before this season, Marks talked about a culture reset, but it hasn’t happened. Irving flirted with leaving before opting into the final year of his contract this season because he had no good options. Durant requested a trade, but he backed off after teams were unwilling to meet Brooklyn’s asking price. Now, Nash is gone. And the Nets’ solution is reportedly to pursue embattled coach Ime Udoka, whom the Boston Celtics suspended for at least a season in September for an improper workplace relationship with a female subordinate.
On the court, Durant carries the burden of trying to lift a team that can’t be easily fixed. But Irving was still living his best, worst life somewhere beyond reality. He must have done his own research about playing successful basketball because the Nets are terrible. And they’re not going to get better with him as one of their central stars.
Irving embarrassed himself when asked about the Twitter post Saturday, attacking reporters instead of realizing he was also speaking to the public. The Nets did little beyond hide him from the media for several days. Marks acted as if the whole thing might blow over.
“At some point, he will come up here and do media again, but I think at this point we don’t want to cause more fuss right now, more interaction with people,” Marks said Tuesday. “Let’s let him simmer down and … I guess let’s let cooler minds prevail.”
It’s hard for Irving to have a cooler mind when he already thinks he’s the smartest person in any room. For most of the week, there was a leadership void throughout the sport when it was clear he needed to be held accountable. The players association sent out a boilerplate statement, but it didn’t bother to mention the name of Irving, who is a vice president in the union. Silver waited for Brooklyn to make a sufficient in-house resolution before coming with strong words. Everyone trusted Irving could be reasoned with; everyone looks foolish now. The league Silver oversees — in which players regularly declare “there is no place” for hate when other issues, particularly pertaining to race, arise — has tiptoed around Irving and watched him smear the NBA’s image.
The issue now isn’t the exploration of a star’s intentions. It isn’t about who Irving is or who he is perceived to be. The focus has shifted to what he is allowed to be. With Irving bringing a storm with him everywhere he goes, Silver seemed prepared to protect the league. The commissioner, who is Jewish, had announced he would visit with Irving in person soon.
If the two still have that meeting, the conversation will be different now. The Nets stepped forward and admitted they’ve had enough. Irving kept telling them and the entire world, “I’m going to be me.” At last, the Nets had the guts to show Irving who they are.
If Irving wants back on the court, he won’t be repeating what he told reporters Saturday: “I’m only going to get stronger because I’m not alone. I have a whole army around me.”
That was the 30-year-old at peak defiance and delusion. Irving is not getting stronger. He appears weaker and more misguided every day. And he doesn’t have an army around him. He has a legion of followers who will deem him irrelevant when his on-court highlights come to an end. His belief that he has nourished society in some lasting way is as ridiculous as his intimation two years ago that the Nets could be coached by committee. He has unintentionally fueled extremists, who now can manipulate his fame for their diabolical interests.
Now, the coddling of Kyrie has ceased. He has devolved from an eccentric to a detrimental star. He challenged the NBA to pick a side, and when the Nets had to prove that they stand for something, they could not allow their anti-everything, confused franchise player to carry on uninhibited.
The celebrity nuisance is gone — for now. His redemption may depend on whether he learns from this mistake. With Irving, sadly, you can’t be certain that will happen.
Source: WP
