The players union has objections to the six conditions that the Nets are requiring Kyrie Irving to meet before he can resume playing, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. NBPA vice president Jaylen Brown said the union will likely file an appeal on Irving’s behalf. Brown calls the conditions unreasonable and points out that social media posts aren’t addressed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Irving, who is slated to meet today with commissioner Adam Silver, was suspended last week for a minimum of five games. Before he can return, he is required to condemn an antisemitic film that he promoted on his Twitter account, meet with team owner Joe Tsai, meet with Jewish leaders in Brooklyn as well as the Anti-Defamation League, complete a sensitivity training course, go through antisemitic training and donate $500K to anti-hate organizations.
Irving could theoretically begin playing again by this weekend, but a report on Monday cited “growing pessimism” that he’ll ever suit up for the Nets again.
“He made a mistake. He posted something,” Brown said. “There was no distinction. Maybe we can move forward, but the terms in which he has to fulfill to return, I think not just speaking for me, speaking as a vice president from a lot of our players, we didn’t agree with the terms that was required for him to come back and we’re waiting for this Tuesday meeting to happen to see what comes of it. But we’ll go from there. That’s all I’ll say.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- Irving also serves as a vice president for the NBPA, but that role could be in jeopardy after this latest controversy, according to Jared Weiss and William Guillory of The Athletic. Union president CJ McCollum said the NBPA is waiting for events to unfold before making any decisions about Irving’s future on its executive committee. “In this particular instance of (a) situation,” McCollum said, “Kyrie was elected in 2020 and it was a three-year term and that’s the extent of where we’re at with that.”
- Irving has been outstanding in the eight games he has played this season — averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists — but his off-court actions have virtually destroyed his trade value, per Sam Amick of The Athletic, who talked to 11 unidentified executives from rival teams. One GM speculated that Irving might never play in the NBA again, and a front office member said no one will sign him to anything more than a one-year contract. The view is much different toward Kevin Durant, with many executives believing he’ll be back on the trade market if the Nets can’t turn things around.
- Some of the “strong voices” urging Tsai to pass on Ime Udoka as head coach are coming from within the organization, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis hears that the Nets held a recent meeting in which female staff members expressed reservations about Udoka, who was suspended by the Celtics following an affair with a staffer.
The NBPA should be ashamed.
Sounds like Brown and CJ have little problem with what Kyrie did. I don’t see any condemnation from them over what he’s done. We’ve seen zero tweets from players around the league condemning this. So are far as I’m concerned they support Kyrie’s views as well
I thought CJ’s first comments were not favorable to Kyrie.
Its irrelevant bc as VPs of the NBAPA they have to defend their union member. Dont take this too hard, NBAPA was going to back Kyrie any way you look at it.
I don’t like Kyrie too much, but this is beyond unreasonable. It looks as if the Nets put so many conditions because they just want to get rid of him. He wrote an ill-advised post, ok… He has apologized, he has been suspended, that should be enough. There are players who did much worse (pointing a gun at a pregnant woman, just to mention a recent example) and continued playing. You cannot set the bar that high with regard to social media behavior (thinking also of Meyers Leonard) and that low in other respects.
Or, better yet, if he does something like that again suspend him a 2nd time.
No question, the Nets are trying to set Kyrie up to fail with their inane requirements. They’ve handled this situation poorly from the very beginning.
Kyrie deserves all of the heat he’s gotten, but it still doesn’t change the silliness of this approach
What’s even worse is that the NBAPA did absolutely nothing when Myers Leonard ignorantly said 1 anti-Semitic slur, was suspended indefinitely the same day by the Heat, then suspended by the league for 1 week and $50,000. Then was traded 8 days later to the Thunder who released him 16 days later and no team has signed him since.
So you basically have a NBA player who lost his livelihood with a one word slur and then there is flat earth Kyrie who apparently the NBAPA is willing to stand up for cause he made a “mistake”.
Just disgustingly pathetic by the NBAPA.
Leonard was suspended for one week, not indefinitely. He was fined $50k and didn’t even lose a game check as he was injured. The Thunder traded for him then released him as a salary dump as they had no use for a 30 year old backup center that would be rehabbing for a year after coming off a career threatening injury.
As far as Leonard today, he says he’s ready. If someone needs a big that can stretch the floor they should give him a shot while keeping in mind that he has little else to offer and would take up a roster spot if signed.
That’s life my man , if Leonard had a better jumper he’d be playing today
You and your buddy can be late every day together carpooling but I promise you when it comes time to firing you they are going to weigh how much value you ( and your friend ) bring to the company first before going thru with it – One may stay one may go
* don’t believe either should be outta the league but that’s just life
Had a better jumper? He’s a seven footer who for his career shoots 39 percent from three. Where’s all the other guys his size who can do that?
He didn’t just post something.
That’s the problem. He posted it and stood by it when it was called out. It wasn’t until the voices got loud and the implications large that he did something.
We all make mistakes, true.
But if you stand by something you did that was wrong it isn’t a mistake any more. It’s an intentional action.
What he did became intentional due to his response, and that’s why the repercussions are real.
NBPA should have been involved with this from the beginning. I assumed they were.
Of course, BKN can unilaterally send him home for any reason they like (or no reason). But they (or the league) can only suspend him (i.e., not pay him) if such an act is supported by the CBA. I’m not surprised that the CBA doesn’t deal with social media posts specifically, but the CBA certainly has provisions that can result in player discipline for off the court actions even if not illegal. NBPA generally doesn’t negotiate these provisions very well, so I suspect that they give Silver all the suspension power his heart desires, which is a bunch. But I doubt the individual teams (this was a team suspension, we’re told) have the same discretion.
Amen
Always a pleasure reading your posts DXC
I’m sorry but as representative of the league and community, what punishment do the players association deem acceptable. I mean I see all these equality and anti hate, but the VP of players association does this is such a mockery of accountability. Add that athletes criticize politics, agendas, current events but God forbid their buddy does something wrong, all quiet on western front. Sorry, not sorry your credibility towards social justice etc lost credibility here.
I think a 5 game suspension without salary which equates to about $2.25 million for Kyrie, a $500,000 donation, a meeting with the ADL and perhaps some education should be more than sufficient.
I was actually wondering if the Nets were going to talk to their female employees and ask their views…
I’m a middle-aged white guy. Atheist. I don’t personally have any skin in the Kyrie vs. the Jewish population debate. I have a couple black friends, and a few Jewish friends. I’m trying very hard to just listen. My Jewish friends aren’t really talking about this at all. My black friends are tending to see it more as another demonization/ cancellation of a black man that won’t “fall in line,” a la Kanye West.