Kyrie Irving: Brooklyn Nets star defends her tweet on documentary deemed anti-Semitic and shares Alex Jones video

CNN
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Brooklyn networks star Kyrie Irving he said he “will not withdraw from anything I believe in” after being convicted by the owner of his own NBA team for tweeting a link to a documentary deemed anti-Semitic.

On Thursday, the star guard tweeted a link to the 2018 film “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” based on Ronald Dalton’s book of the same name. Rolling Stone described the book and film as “full of anti-Semitic tropes”.

In a harsh post-game press conference after the Nets lost to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Irving defended his decision to post a link to the documentary.

“In terms of backlash, we are in 2022, the story shouldn’t be hidden from anyone and I’m not a divisive person when it comes to religion, I embrace all walks of life,” he said.

“So the claims of anti-Semitism and who is God’s original chosen people and we get into these religious conversations and it’s a big no, no, I don’t live my life that way.”

Several organizations condemned Irving’s tweet, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets, and Nets owner Joe Tsai.

“I’m disappointed that Kyrie seems to be supporting a movie based on a book full of anti-Semitic disinformation,” Nets owner Joe Tsai tweeted Friday night.

“I want to sit down and make sure he understands that this is painful for all of us and, as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hatred based on race, ethnicity or religion.”

Tsai added: “This is bigger than basketball.”

Irving said at the press conference that he “respects what Joe does [Tsai] said, “but claimed he didn’t tweet something malicious.

“Did I do something illegal? Did I hurt someone, did I hurt someone? Am I going out and saying I hate a specific group of people? ”

“It’s on Amazon, a public platform, whether you want to go and watch it or not, it’s up to you,” Irving said. “There are things that are published every day. I’m no different from the next human being, so don’t treat me differently ”.

CNN asked Amazon for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

At the same time, Irving acknowledged his “unique position” to influence his community, but said that “what I publish does not mean that I support everything that is said or everything that is done or that I am campaigning for any What”.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, in a tweet Friday called Irving’s social media post “worrying”.

“The book and film that promotes the trade in deeply anti-Semitic themes, including those promoted by the dangerous sects of the black Jewish Israelite movement. Irving should clarify now. ”

The Nets also spoke out against the star guard’s tweet.

“The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and do not tolerate the promotion of any form of hate speech,” the team said in a statement to CNN.

“We believe that in these situations our first action must be an open and honest dialogue. We thank those, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), who have been supportive during this time. ”

The NBA released a statement said, “Hate speech of any kind is unacceptable and runs counter to the NBA’s values ​​of equality, inclusion and respect.

“We believe we all have a role to play in ensuring that such words or ideas, including anti-Semitic ones, are challenged and refuted and we will continue to work with all members of the NBA community to ensure that everyone understands the impact of their words and actions. ”

Rolling Stone, meanwhile, said the film and book include ideas in line with some “extreme factions” within the black Jewish Israelite movement who expressed anti-Semitic and other discriminatory sentiments.

During the press conference, Irving was also asked about his decision to share a video created by far-right talk show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, to whom he was recently sentenced to pay nearly $ 1 billion in damages. Sandy Hook families for her lies about the massacre.

Irving made it clear that he disagreed with Jones’s false claims that the Sandy Hook shooting had been staged, but shared Jones’s September post on “Secret Societies in Occult America,” which Irving believed to be. “real”.