Kyrie Irving is probably the most exciting yet enigmatic player the NBA and its spectators have ever seen. His father, Drederick Irving was an former professional basketball player that has played a couple of seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), and Kyrie became a fan of the game since he was a kid. Years of practices under the guidance of his dad as well as coaches from his high school and college from the Montclair Kimberley Academy, St. Patrick and the famed Duke University have resulted in his super crossover abilities and devastating one-on-one talents, where even the best perimeter defenders in the game have no answer to contain.
But such capabilities come at a price. And for a strong advocate for pseudophilosophy like Kyrie, the NBA would have to bear with his unconventional theories and actions that might not go well with the current status quo in the society. From the “Flat Earth” Stance to remain unvaccinated, he is one player that everybody will both love and hate at the same time. In the latest event, Kyrie tweeted a link that contains the controversial movie Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, leading to a suspension of him for at least five games and many have labelled him as antisemitic.
Six Conditions to Be Fulfilled Before Resuming Playtime
The Brooklyn Nets have released a set of six requirements that Kyrie would need to fulfil before he can play again for the team, which include:
1. Issue a public apology for posting a link to the movie link he included in his tweet on 27th October 2022 that supported anti-Jewish beliefs.
2. Work hand in hand with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to put an end to hate and intolerance in communities, which includes a $500,000 donation to organisations.
3. Attend and fulfil the sensitivity training held by the Brooklyn Nets.
4. Attend and fulfil antisemitic programme created by the Brooklyn Nets.
5. Hold a meet-up with the Anti-Defamation League committees and leaders from the Jewish community in Brooklyn in the state.
6. Upon the completion of matters 1 to 6, meet with the owner of the Brooklyn Nets, Joe Tsai and other officials to showcase that the lessons learnt through the courses and actions to ensure that such an incident will not repeat in the future.
Time to Call an End?
The owner of the Brooklyn Nets have took to the internet to express his dissatisfaction over Irving’s actions and antics ever since his signing with the team. The tweet reads, “I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion.”
In light of such an absurd event, Nike decided to suspend their sponsorship deal with Kyrie, with plans to launch his 8th signature basketball shoe with the American brand also ceased. When asked about the possibility to sign Irving should the Brooklyn Nets part way with him, most of the general managers from the other 29 teams have opted the option of “No”, showing that despite his brilliance performance on court, his off-court behaviours have been a pain in the neck for many. We might be looking at the end of Irving’s NBA career as things go.
(Photo Credits: The Nation)
