NBA: Brooklyn Nets say Kyrie Irving’s apology isn’t enough to end suspension

The Nets will not pay Kyrie Irving during his suspension. PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON – Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who was suspended indefinitely in the fallout of his social media posts promoting an anti-Semitic film, will have to meet Jewish leaders and the team before he can return to play, general manager Sean Marks said on Friday.

The comments came a day after the National Basketball Association (NBA) team announced they had suspended him without pay for at least five games because he “refused to unequivocally say he has no anti-Semitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material” in the film he posted on Oct 27.

“There is going to be some remedial steps and measures that have been put in place for him to, obviously, seek some counselling designated by the team,” Marks said.

“We’ll evaluate and see if this is the right opportunity to bring him back.”

He added Irving’s apology was a “step in the right direction” but “certainly not enough”.

On Friday, Nike, which has produced Irving’s signature shoe since 2014, announced that it had suspended its relationship with him “effective immediately” and would not launch the next version of his shoe, the Kyrie 8.

“At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism,” the company said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone.”

Several media outlets have reported the shoe deal to be worth US$11 million (S$15.4 million).

The Nets will not pay Irving during his suspension. He is on a US$36.9 million contract this season, after having earned nearly US$195 million in his previous 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and the Nets, according to Basketball-Reference.com.

Irving had posted a link on Twitter to an anti-Semitic film and posted a screenshot of the movie’s online rental page on Instagram. As fans, team leaders and even NBA commissioner Adam Silver called for Irving to apologise, the player resisted until after he was suspended on Thursday.

After the team announced his suspension, he apologised in a late-night post on Instagram, saying: “To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologise.”

Marks addressed reporters at a morning shoot-around before the Nets played the Washington Wizards on Friday.

The Nets are one of the worst teams in the NBA, with a record of 2-6, and they fired their coach, Steve Nash, on Tuesday.

But with their backs to the wall, they duly delivered, shaking off the controversy and easing to a 128-86 victory.

Kevin Durant came up just shy of a triple-double, delivering 28 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.

Nic Claxton added 18 points for the Nets, who notched just their third victory of a young season that has already seen plenty of turmoil.

“Let’s put the joy back in basketball,” Nets owner Joe Tsai said in a tweet after the victory.

Durant certainly did all he could in that direction, shining in his home town of Washington where the margin of defeat was the largest at home in Wizards history.

“We just continued to move the basketball all night. Everybody touched it, everybody got to the paint and was able to generate some good offence,” he said.

“That’s how we want to play moving forward,” added Durant, whose highlights included a wicked crossover dribble that saw Wizards centre Daniel Gaffort do the splits in the first quarter.

The Nets are set to be without Irving until at least Nov 13, when they visit Los Angeles to take on the Lakers.

His suspension and apology follow a controversy generated by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who was suspended by social media platforms in October for posts were condemned as anti-Semitic.
NYTIMES, REUTERS

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