After the Brooklyn Nets’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday afternoon, Kyrie Irving answered questions from reporters at Barclays Center. The questions focused on the controversy surrounding Irving’s alleged promotion of a documentary deemed ‘antisemitic.’
In a now-deleted tweet, the professional basketball player posted a link to the 2018 film adaptation of Ronald Dalton’s book “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” on his Twitter account on Thursday.
Rolling Stone claimed that the book and the film were “stuffed with antisemitic tropes,” CNN reported.
“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,” Irving wrote.
“History is not supposed to be hidden from anybody, and I’m not a divisive person when it comes to religion. I embrace all walks of life. You see it on all my platforms. I talk to all races, all cultures, all religions. And my response would be, it’s not about educating yourself on what Semitism is or what anti-Semitism is. It’s really about where the root words, where these come from and understanding that this is an African heritage that is also belonging to the people,” Irving said during the press conference on Thursday.
“I’m not comparing Jews to Blacks. I’m not comparing White to Black; I’m not doing that. That conversation is dismissive, and it constantly revolves around the rhetoric of who are the chosen people of God. And I’m not here to argue over a person, or culture, or religion on what they believe. Nah, This is what is here. It’s on a public platform. Did I do anything illegal?”
“So, I’m not going to stand down on anything that I believe in. I’m only going to get stronger because I’m not alone. I have a whole army around me.”
During the nine-minute interview, Chicago Bulls beat reporter Nick Friedell chastised Irving for posting a video of Alex Jones on his Instagram.
Below is the excerpt via Nets Daily:
Nick Friedell: Kyrie, while we’re on the topic of promotion, why did you decide to promote something that Alex Jones said?
Kyrie Irving: That was a few weeks ago, I do not stand with Alex Jones’s position, narrative, (the) court case that he had with Sandy Hook, or any of the kids that felt like they had to relive trauma or parents that had to relive trauma or to be dismissive to all the lives that were lost during that tragic event. My post was a post from Alex Jones that he did in the early nineties or late nineties about secret societies in America of a cult. And it’s true. So I wasn’t identifying with anything being a campaignist [sic] for Alex Jones or anything. I was just there to post. And it’s funny, and it’s actually hilarious because out of all the things I posted that day, that was the one post that everyone chose to see. It just goes back to the way our world is and works. I’m not here to complain about it, I just exist.
Nick Friedell: And to follow up on the promotion of the movie and the book-.
Kyrie Irving: “Can you please stop calling it a promotion? What am I promoting?” Irving said. “… Yeah, I put it out there just like you put things out there, right? Ok, you put things out there for a living right? Great, so let’s move on. Let’s move on. Let’s move on. Don’t dehumanize me up here. I’m another human being. I can post whatever I want. So say that and shut it down and move on to the next question.”
Watch the video below:
It can be recalled that After Irving’s refusal the previous year to have the COVID vaccine, he found himself in a hot seat.
Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said in a statement that Kyrie will not be playing until he gets the vaccine. “Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant.”
Black Lives Matter and anti-mandate protesters joined forced to storm Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in support of Kyrie Irving, an NBA player who has been banned from playing for not being vaccinated.
The unlikely mix of protesters from across the political spectrum were chanting “Stand With Kyrie” as they burst through the doors during Sunday’s game.