Unrepentant Antisemite

"We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no anti-Semitic beliefs, not acknowledge specific hateful material in the film."

"Such failure to disavow anti-Semitism 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."

"[... suspended without pay for at least five games for] publicizing the film containing deeply disturbing antisemitic hate."

"[The suspension will be lifted once Irving] satisfies a series of objective remedial measures."

"[Irving is] currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets [as it has made several attempts in the last few days to help Irving understand the harmful impacts of his words and actions through a joint committee],"

Brooklyn Nets message

"To all Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize."

"I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labelled anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the documentary."

Nets star Kyrie Irving

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism."  

"To that end, we've made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8."

"We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone."

Nike Inc.

Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving speaks before the team's NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 19, 2022, in New York. The Nets are suspending Irving for at least five games without pay, saying they were dismayed by his failure to "unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs." Frank Franklin II/AP

 

Does this man crave notice? Well he has it. Remember that old line about no such thing as 'bad' publicity, since any kind of 'publicity', good, bad or indifferent is free publicity, draws attention, gets into the news, highlights a name and a cause. In the current zeitgeist of a social media hurricane of antisemitism expressed freely from a wide variety of sources, sometimes masquerading as criticism of the state of Israel, it seems that some Black celebrities have latched themselves to a free source of publicity and milking it enthusiastically.

 

Are they adherents and disciples of the messages spewed by Louis Farrakhan? There is such a rampaging flood of antisemitism in the last few years it represents a great pool of Jew-hating critics who revel in having their say about the small ethnic/religious/cultural group of great antiquity for whom the world now and again boils up into a pogrom of amazing proportions. Their sin as Jews being their purported dastardly plans to take over the world, its news, banking, culture, governments, compelling the rest of the world to do their bidding.

 

Kyrie Irving saw fit to casually insert a link on his social media account as a Super Twit to his huge following that would lead them to a video titled "Hebrews to Negroes" that espouses some pretty grim racist tropes reflective of the extreme factions of the Black Hebrew Israelites with their history of misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia and most pointedly, antisemitism. It is the  antisemitic aspect of the film, demonizing Jews for all the ills of the world, and in particular Black ills, that makes the video notable. 

 

Irving was applauded for posting the link. He is an influential sport figure with a vast following of impressionable sport-addictive men who adore a Black celebrity who makes it clear that he has principles and values and no one can move him from his beliefs. As, for example, his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which cost him some valuable game experiences. But no one was going to push him around, and certainly not the global elite engaged in imposing their 'science' on the world.

 

He gained a special place in the hearts and minds of the 'anti'- crowds, the paranoia-induced public who believe big government is after them, that their freedom is being denied, that the last U.S. election was a fraud, that the World Health Organization is manipulating the world to destroy freedoms of the little guy who is forced to isolate and lost their employment. The flat-Earthers don't find it hard to believe that Jews control the world, and they adore rebels who will speak the truth, like Irving. No one pushes him around.

 

Since the video issue exploded in the news with outraged responses from Jewish groups, in interviews the 30-year-old basketball player has refused to directly answer the simple question whether he has a deep and abiding aversion to Jews, some know as antisemitism. No direct answers were forthcoming; he found a coy way of skirting the issue by circumlocution and self-defence; who, me? Why should he be contrite about an issue he so clearly believes?

 

Well, it seems he can summon up a sincerely contrite apology to his Jewish Brothers and Sisters after all, because no one likes to lose millions in one fell swoop of a penalty. The question is, does he really believe that his $500,000 'donation' to racist-fighting human rights groups can reverse the wheels he spun in racing antisemitism by posting that link to influence his followers? It would be interesting to see an estimate of the percentage of such followers' literacy levesl.

He has influenced an untold number of people through his personal endorsement of an antisemitic video. Now he is being influenced by a suspension costing  him an estimated $2.2 million, but his prestige as a superior sport figure has also been impacted by sponsors who will refuse to have their products or services associated with an unrepentant antisemite. 

 

Bad, really bad play, Kyrie Irving.

 

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks to the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP)

"[Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving] caused some harm to a lot of people [by recently promoting an antisemitic documentary on his Twitter account]."

"It doesn’t matter what color your skin is, how tall you are or what position you’re in. If you are promoting, soliciting or saying harmful things to any community that harms people, then I don’t respect it. I don’t condone it.”

"I hope he understands that what he said was harmful to a lot of people. As humans, none of us are perfect. But I hope he understands what he did or the actions he took was harmful to a lot of people.”

"[His production company declined to air an episode of] The Shop [with rapper Kanye West after he made antisemitic remarks on the show]."

"I don’t condone any hate of any kind and to any race – to Jewish communities, to Black communities, to Asian communities."

Lakers star LeBron James