The Nets won’t take any disciplinary action against Kyrie Irving for his promotion of a movie that’s considered to be antisemitic, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. In a pre-game session with reporters, coach Steve Nash said he’s not familiar with the 2018 film ‘Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,’ which Irving has been touting on social media. He added that he doesn’t expect this latest incident to be a distraction for the rest of the team (Twitter link).
“I don’t think our group is overly affected by the situation,” Nash said. “We’ve had so many situations over the last two and a half years that I think we’ve kind of built an immunity to it.”
Irving defended his association with the film in a Twitter post this afternoon, writing, “I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs. The ‘Anti-Semitic’ label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions.”
The NBA hasn’t taken any action against Irving, but it did release a statement regarding the controversy (Twitter link).
“Hate speech of any kind is unacceptable and runs counter to the NBA’s values of equality, inclusion and respect,” the league wrote. “We believe we all have a role to play in ensuring such words or ideas, including antisemitic ones, are challenged and refuted and we will continue working with all members of the NBA community to ensure that everyone understands the impact of their words and actions.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- There’s no easy solution to the Ben Simmons dilemma, Lewis writes in a full story. Although it’s still early in the season, Simmons hasn’t looked like the same player since returning from a 16-month absence. Lewis talked to scouts who say that Simmons no longer seems to have the explosive moves to make up for his reluctance to shoot from outside. Lewis notes that the Nets have used 71 lineup combinations so far, fourth-most in the league, and Nash has been experimenting with different roles for Simmons. “Ben and I work every day at this, trying to give him the confidence to go out there and be aggressive and try to get back to at least the feeling of joy on the court,” Nash said.
- On his latest Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said an unidentified scout observed that Simmons seems “happy” whenever he has to come out of games due to foul trouble (video link).
- Joe Harris, who returned last week after two ankle surgeries, said he doesn’t expect to sit out back-to-backs, but his ankle will have to be monitored for a while, Lewis relays (via Twitter).
- After missing the first five games of the season while recovering from ankle surgery, Seth Curry is active tonight, Lewis tweets.
Umm exactly what “Action” would the NBA take here?
Like KI or not there’s a bigger problem under the hood here and it has nothing to do with Kyrie .
We use to just close our garages and scurry inside the house when we saw the neighbor we didn’t like walking down the block…. Now we wanna burn their house down when they go out for ice cream
Toughen up America
Not sure an article saying the NBA isn’t gonna try to muzzle Kyrie equates with burning peoples houses down but I get your point.
Personally, I could care less what any athlete or any other famous person thinks. About pretty much anything.
Not worrying a whole lot about what Luke Kornet thinks about climate change.
And yeah, Simmons looks awful.
Freedom of speech has regressed in the last 10 years for the pettiness of faux outrage.
I agree on your 2nd, 3rd and 4th paragraphs wholeheartedly but those houses ARE getting torched currently; it’s just a slow burn that doesn’t send up clouds of smoke all at once
There’s been no reduction in freedom of speech (unless you’re a leftist), at all, but the faux outrage by those claiming their freedom of speech rights are being hurt in any way shape or form are literally saying “This green haired 12 year old owned me online and Im furious about it” – that’s the reality here. Almost nothing is as bad as any of the media says it is, aside from homelessness, and right wing Americans havent lost a damn thing and have only won since 2016 and continue to win IRL but lose online and cry the loudest about it.
Nobodies winning if we are all bubble wrapped up and one mistake away from societal expulsion. In fact Id say your self imposing an unnatural state of being here by doing so
The idea someone’s “winning” as you speak is blasphemy A’s fan , everyone will suffer moving forward, particularly the youths as they are being {re}programmed today as we speak
The continued distancing from things we don’t like won’t help us live side by side together. Your sticking a band-aid on an open wound so you don’t have to see the puss
“Youths being reprogrammed” are actually just seeing how bigoted people like you are, because they’re not being raised in the white bubble you were. You’re so scared of people being altruistic and not complete racist dingbats that you chalk it up to “reprogramming” as if you think all people should be as terrible as you are.
Nothing you said is accurate. Saying ignorant and prejudiced things was never cool or ok. Now you just face consequences for it.
“Umm exactly what “Action” would the NBA take here?”
I mean, if this movie is as anti-Semitic as people are saying (and I have no idea because I’ve never heard of it), then they would make him apologize at the minimum, or fine him or even suspend him. Not for any virtuous reasons, but because this could affect the NBA’s bottom line. I mean, the NBA came down hard on Daryl Morey and his ‘crime’ was speaking out against China and in support of people being persecuted. All because it could affect the money coming from China.
NBA clearly looked at this situation, decided Kyrie being an idiot will not hurt the league financially, and called it a day.
They use to literally burn down people’s houses that they didn’t like when they went out for ice cream, especially so in the south.
Furthermore there’s never been “faux outrage” it was suppressed outrage in fear of getting your house burned down, beaten or getting shot while you were on the balcony of a Memphis hotel room.
Taco don’t forget Tulsa
If he keeps doubling down and the Nets lose sponsors, you can bet they’ll come down on him.
The NBA is a business. And a business has a tight to protect its reputation and bottom line. If the Nets and the NBA do nothing here, that is their choice.
Also, it’s weird you would tell Americans to “toughen up” when it should be “become smarter”. Conspiracy theories, baseless lies, partisanship, and general ignorance are what is ruining this country, not the exaggeration of cancel culture (which has always been around; it just never had a name before). Yes, virtue-signaling can be annoying and over the top at times, but it is hardly as severe of an issue.
Shea – solid points and I agree to an extent; good post
Taco- Bit of a fallacy there, no excuses but tolerance was my bigger underlying point
DXC- Per usual your words paint a better picture than mine . I too believe the cyclical nature is not lost and will find it’s way back at some point (just not now as you state)
Cap – I respect the sentiment, and enjoyed the posts. But, as you might see, it’s futile. I don’t believe the American ethic is dead. In fact, I believe that it will rise again one day. But that day isn’t today. Right now, it’s been supplanted by the other ethic, at least in terms of public discourse. There’s still a Constitutional protection, but beyond its parameters, I don’t think you’ll find much support for freedom of speech as a concept.
The 1st amendment and freedom of speech protects one from the government, I doesn’t protect one from repercussion or accountability. It doesn’t excuse or justify bigotry, hatred or prejudice.
The Constitutional protection is only from government action. Freedom of speech is a broader concept. One can believe in it or not (beyond the Constitutional protection, that belief is optional). The concept is at the core of the American ethic, but obviously not a big part of yours. Not a surprise.
DXC you don’t understand that freedom of speech also protects others (companies, private citizens, groups) from levying consequences that result from people spewing garbage under the guise of “free speech.” That’s why social networks can ban you for being a bigot: the First Amendment protects their right to do so.
Freedom of speech ≠ freedom from accountability. That’s what you don’t get, because you believe people should not only have the right to be an awhole, but their right to be an awhole should be protected.
Don’t like it? Move to Russia, smarty pants.
No, when the neighbor was antisemitic we went over to Europe and destroyed them in WW2.
Also, that situation you refer to isn’t anything new. White people in 1921 burned down an entire black neighborhood because they didn’t like their neighbors. 100 years ago. So no, that’s not what it’s like “now.” It’s what it used to be.
Stop excusing antisemitism by watering it down like it’s some issue of a fence being too far on someone’s side of a lot line. If you think people are too “soft” for standing up to hate, go pick up your robes from the cleaners.
The NBA and Nets sure would take action when a company pulls their sponsorship of the team when Kyrie quotes Mein Kampf.
“We’ve had so many situations over the last two and a half years that I think we’ve kind of built an immunity to it.”
My brother, that is the dictionary definition of what “delusional” means.
They’ve been affected pretty much every day for over a year now.
he was talking about covid.
Well Kyrie doesn’t have that immunity either
Ben is is avg 5.4 shots a gm. In 31 mins a gm. FT % .400. That is unacceptable. Seems he needs to go back to his roots of playing this gm. No athlete should ever stop getting better or working on his craft. Wake up Ben
His roots? Dude was a 67% FT shooter in his 1 yr of college ball.
Learning the gm as a kid. And finding that true love. His confidence seems shot. Playing ball is not only shooting. Although he should be working on it 24/7. Confidence is what takes your talent to next level.
Trade him, let someone else fix him. 2 firsts + Ben + Cam Thomas for Myles Turner, Theis, and TJ.
Yeah ….. you must be who drafted Fultz instead of Tatum.
Kyrie is an attention monger. He needs it like a drug. Playing ball is just a paycheck to him. I would never want to play with him. Or want him on my team.
The NBA is the most hypocritical sellouts leauge in sports, and that really says something. They will host games in a country with massive human rights violations. They cancel games over the police having to use force against an armed person. But when Kyrie says borderline n*zi stuff, it’s a press release.
There is an easy solution to “the Simmons issues.” Play the right pieces around him…Harris should replace Claxton as a starter, and Simmons should start at the 5, as I’ve been saying the entire offseason
You can’t play Simmons at the 5 for extended minutes unless he can really defend opposing bigs, which he hasn’t shown
Even Draymond who it seems everyone thinks Simmons should become doesn’t play the 5 except for stretches and he’s the far superior post defender
I will say Simmons FT% creeping up is a good sign. And in theory having KD, Irving and Harris on the floor should be enough shooting to allow Simmons and a big to coexist
But Simmons needs to be willing to be more aggressive cutting and attacking the rim
Nobody is saying he should be playing the 5 all night. Just that he should start at the 5. That being said, they need either another defensive option at the 4 off the bench, or another option at the 5, and actually probably both
Kyrie, Harris, O’neal, KD, Simmons
Curry, Warren, Claxton, Duke/Sumner
It’s tough to say bc of the small sample and the fact he’s still ramping up but the early stats of Simmons as a FC player aren’t particularly encouraging — his DBPM and rebound rates are lower while everything else is flat
At 1-5 sure it’s probably worth a shot. But I’m still sticking to my off-season opinion that Simmons is an elite perimeter defender not post, which makes playing him as a 4/5 untenable long term. We’ll see tho … if he continues to refuse to shoot it may be moot either way
Still need to play pick and roll defense at that position, and then remember, offensively, he doesnt need to be more than a ballmover/playmaker, with all those scorers/shooters around him. You also definitely dont want anyone clogging the lane, and taking up space for him, especially when he is already not going to have many opportunities
Kyrie needs a life more than anything. It seems when he is not playing basketball he is doing basically one thing else only, going down the YouTube rabbit hole. Guy needs to focus on his family, or anything more productive than YouTube conspiracy theories.
It was time to let Nash go at “let’s play Ben at center”.
Ben Simmons is not a PG. Worst thing Sixers did was to play him as one. I have said this since he was drafted.
There is no reason why his shooting shouldn’t improve. It should have by now. If he had real coaching. Instead of coddling your stars. How about helping them get better.
Ben should be a 4-3. He can play either. He should be posting all day. He should run the wing on fast breaks. Or lead them with his handle. He and KD could be best forward combo ever. Why is it I’m the only one who sees this.