Nearly a full week after Brooklyn Nets team owner Joe Tsai called out Kyrie Irving for promoting an antisemitic film, the organization announced Thursday night that Irving has been suspended indefinitely without pay following a series of chaotic press conferences involving the star guard.
Publicly, Nets officials had tried to downplay the situation prior to Irving’s latest statements. The night before he was fired, Steve Nash said the team was working to have “more empathy for every side of this debate.” General manager Sean Marks explained the team was keeping Irving out of press conferences to avoid “fuss.”
On Thursday, the Nets eventually came to the conclusion that Irving’s behavior since the issue began rendered him “unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
Kevin Durant, for one, suggested that the Nets mishandled the situation by not keeping quiet about Irving. Prior to Friday’s game against the Wizards, Durant told reporters that “it was all unnecessary.”
Kevin Durant: “I’m not here to judge somebody or talk down on the life or how they feel their views. I just didn’t like anything that went on. I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.” #nets
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) November 4, 2022
KD on Kyrie suspension: “It’s an unfortunate situation … it just sucks all around for everybody. Hopefully we can move past it.”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) November 4, 2022
When asked if he felt Irving’s suspension was fair, Durant said he trusts the organization to do the right thing.
KD says he hasn’t spoken to Kyrie since his apology last night. Does he think the suspension is unfair? “I believe and trust in the organization to do what’s right.”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) November 4, 2022
Shortly afterward, Durant quickly followed up with a tweet condemning antisemitism.
Just wanna clarify the statements I made at shootaround, I see some people are confused..I don’t condone hate speech or anti-semetism, I’m about spreading love always. Our game Unites people and I wanna make sure that’s at the forefront
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) November 4, 2022
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