Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of a storm right now. The amount of drama that is unfurling at the Nets is akin to nothing we have ever seen before. Even the Portland “Jailblazers” seem less dramatic in comparison to what has been coming out of the Brooklyn camp.
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After a season of anti-vaccination drama and the subsequent uncertainty surrounding his future in the off-season, one expected Kyrie to play through a fresh season and guide the Nets to success with a fully fit roster. Any such expectations may well be shut down as the season has started terribly on and off the court for the Nets.
If last season was anti-vaccination propaganda and previously it was the “flat earth” theory, it appears antisemitism is the subject of the latest Irving outburst. Irving has been mired in controversy relating to antisemitism with his promotion of “Hebrews to Negr**s: Wake Up Black America”. This 2018 movie, is markedly antisemitic and loud in its exhibition of the same.
For someone of Irving’s popularity to promote the same is definitely problematic. The information a celebrity spreads to his following needs to be thoroughly vetted, a statement former Nets coach Amar’e Stoudemire made clear on First Take.
What did Amar’e have to say about Kyrie Irving’s antisemitism row?
Stoudemire is linked to the current circumstances in Brooklyn in certain ways. Amar’e was the long-time running mate of former head coach Steve Nash and reunited as coaches in Brooklyn.
But beyond his Brooklyn links, also remain the fact that Amar’e is Jewish himself and associated with basketball in Israel.
As someone who has been in a position of stardom, a la Kyrie, Stoudemire opined on the situation when asked. The six-time All-Star stated that Kyrie is in a situation where he is on a quest to find his identity. In such a situation, the former Knicks forward believes that processing and spreading information has to be done carefully.
Amar’e went on to state that he believes the Nets guard has not done his due diligence before spreading information – something extremely concerning in his eyes.
The former Suns star was visibly disappointed at how Kyrie, a fellow athlete, handled the situation. Amar’e point rings strong for anyone in a position of power. There is no bigger tool than information, and people in positions of power should be more responsible with it.
How has Irving responded to the antisemitism controversy?
In an unfortunate turn of events, it appears the Nets star is unfazed by the allegations and the noise. Rather than apologizing or taking accountability, Kyrie has instead almost doubled down on his stance.
“I’m not here to argue over a person or a culture or a religion and what they believe. Nah, this is what’s here. It’s on a public platform. Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody?”, Kyrie retorted. Irving’s response points to a clear lack of perception of why people have been strong in their criticism of his act.
“Did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people?” added Irving as he continued to explain himself.
As Stoudemire pointed out, it does appear Kyrie is on a path of exploration to find himself. However, so far, the journey has been surrounded by misinformation and baffling decision-making.
A talent like Kyrie shouldn’t be all over the news in such bad light. However, the star point guard continues to drag himself into the middle of controversies time and time again. Will things settle down on this rocky Nets coast, or is it heading into full-blown pandemonium?
