Nets' Kyrie Irving could avoid league discipline after taking down tweet
Nets guard Kyrie Irving looks on in the second half of an NBA game against the Pacers at Barclays Center on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It appears as if Kyrie Irving could avoid league or team discipline after taking down a tweet in which he posted a link to a movie rife with antisemitic tropes.
Irving, who took down the tweet Sunday, was in the Nets’ starting lineup Monday, as he has been in every game since the issue came to light. He scored 28 points in a 116-109 win over the Pacers.
“I think it certainly helps,” coach Steve Nash said Monday when asked if deleting the tweet, which had been up since Thursday, would aid Irving’s case. “I wasn’t in on all those conversations, so I can’t comment on them.”
Nash said he didn’t know if the team or league personnel told Irving to take down the tweet — an Amazon link to “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America.”
Several fans, some wearing yarmulkes, sat courtside at Barclays Center on Monday wearing black T-shirts with the words “FIGHT ANTISEMITISM” written on them.
“I just hope that we all grow through this together,” Nash said. “There’s always an opportunity for us to grow and understand new perspectives. I think the organization is trying to take that stance that we [need to] communicate through this and all come out in a better position with more understanding and wanting to have empathy for every side of this debate and situation.”
Irving on Saturday said he is not antisemitic and that his interest in the documentary stems from a desire to “elevate my consciousness,” along with his pride in being African.
He also said on Saturday that, despite posting a clip of InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in September, he does not support Jones or his false claims about the Sandy Hook massacre (Jones recently received a nearly $1 billion verdict against him for falsely saying the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax).
Irving did, however, stand by the gist of the Jones video clip he posted, which espouses the “New World Order” conspiracy theory — the idea of a shadow government that controls the world. Jones does not explicitly name Jewish people in the posted clip. The “New World Order” is a longstanding conspiracy theory with strong antisemitic ties, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Asked if the organization is pleased with how Irving handled the situation, Nash was noncommittal. “That’s an ongoing conversation,” he said. “I haven’t been a part of those internal talks, to be honest. I’ve been coaching, preparing the team, but I know they’re looking at that constantly.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle didn’t have a comment on Irving, but he did underscore the importance of being careful about what you post.
“It’s dangerous territory right now, you know, the particular situation,” Carlisle said. “We work with our guys to talk to them about the impact of social media, really talk more about what a positive impact it can have to praise your teammates, talk about great things about the organization and those kinds of things. [We talk about] the fact that words are powerful and so some of this stuff, players have to experience [for themselves]. You can try to help manage situations and stuff like that, but there’s an experience factor involved, too, but we do try to work with them and counsel them and keep them out of harm’s way.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
