In wake of his controversial promotion of an antisemitic film, Kyrie Irving took the podium and had a postgame bout against a media man following the Brooklyn Nets’ home loss against the Indiana Pacers last Saturday.
After answering cryptic questions about Alex Jones’ ‘New World Order’ and the film “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” Irving was triggered and interrupted ESPN’s Nick Friedell upon the reporter said the word “promotion” for the second time around with regards to the movie.
Friedell stood up boldly and had a verbal sparring with Irving.
Irving stated: “I put it out there, just like you put things out there. Right? You put things out there for a living, right? Great, so let’s move on.”
On his part, Friedell answered, “My stuff is not filled with antisemitic stuff.”
“Let’s move on,” Irving repeated. “Don’t dehumanize me up here. I can post whatever I want.”
As he walked away out from the mic, Irving said, “I wish we cared more about Black reproductive rights and all the things that actually matter than what I’m posting. Change your life, bro.”
The All-star point guard absorbed major flak after posting an Amazon link of the movie on his Twitter, which remains undeleted amid the public uproar. “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” is a 2018 film based on the 2015 book by the same name, which the Rolling Stone flagged for spewing antisemitic themes and conspiracies.
Joe Tsai, the Brooklyn Nets, and the NBA have already issued their respective statements after the Irving fiasco, as all of them appears condemning the questionable action he made.
Irving, on his part, made it known that he’s going to stand down on his beliefs amid the noises surrounding his name anew.
“I’m not here to argue over a person or a culture or a religion and what they believe,” Irving said prior to his heated exchange. “Nah, this is what’s here. It’s on a public platform. Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody? Did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people? So out of all of the judgment that people got for me posting, without talking to me, and then I respect what Joe [Tsai] said, but there has a lot to do with not ego or pride of how proud I am to be [of] African heritage, but also to be living as a free Black man here in America, knowing the historical complexities for me to get here.
“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.”
