In connection with the warm-up before Sunday’s meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies, Irving apologized to anyone who felt threatened and hurt by the posts on Twitter that led to his suspension, writes nba.com.
It was in early November that Irving linked to a film based on a book with anti-Semitic content. Irving was criticized but initially defended his right to share whatever he wanted. However, he removed the post after a few days.
An apology was eventually issued, but both the NBA and the Brooklyn Nets deemed it insufficient, and Irving was suspended for at least five games.
The sports brand Nike also canceled its long-standing collaboration with the star and announced that it would not release the shoe variant Kyrie 8 as planned.
Before Sunday’s game, Irving said he should have handled the criticism differently.
“I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or anti-Semitism or anything that goes against humanity,” says Irving.
— I must here and now take responsibility for my actions, because I should have handled all this in a different way.
The relationship between the Brooklyn Nets and Irving was previously strained and the club did not extend his contract this summer. Last season, he missed most of the team’s home games because he refused to get vaccinated against covid-19 and was therefore not allowed to play in New York. He has previously, for example, also been punished for refusing to speak to journalists in connection with matches.