Kyrie Irving Deletes Social Media Apology For Antisemitic Post After Trade To Mavericks

Topline

Controversial NBA star Kyrie Irving on Tuesday deleted a social media message he posted late last year apologizing for a post in support of an antisemitic documentary, less than a week after the all-star guard was traded to the Dallas Mavericks after demanding a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

Kyrie Irving came under fire last fall for posting a link to a documentary that’s been heavily … [+] criticized as antisemitic.

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Key Facts

Irving deleted the Instagram post he made last November apologizing to “all Jewish families and Communities,” after he came under fire for posting a link to a documentary decried as deeply antisemitic, and was subsequently suspended by the Nets and had his massive contract with Nike terminated.

After initially refusing to apologize, Irving wrote in the post last fall that he had not realized the film, Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, contained “some false [antisemitic] statements, narratives and language that were untrue and offensive to the Jewish Race/Religion.”

Key Background

Irving had faced harsh criticism from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who called the then-Nets star “reckless” over his post promoting the film—which has been criticized for spreading baseless tropes around Jewish people worshiping Satan and seeking world domination. Irving had released a joint statement with the Nets and the Anti-Defamation League, admitting responsibility for the “negative impact” of his post and donating $500,000 to organizations that “eradicate hate and intolerance”—although it was short of a formal apology. He later apologized in an interview with SNY last fall, saying he does not “condone any hate speech or any prejudice” and that he has no “hate in [his]

What To Watch For

The Mavericks next game, against the Los Angeles Clippers, is scheduled for Wednesday night. It’s not clear whether Irving will play.

Tangent

Irving’s post was far from his first taste of controversy. Irving sat out home games in Brooklyn after he refused to receive a Covid-19 vaccination, and said he was ineligible for a four-year $100 million contract extension with the Nets as a result. Last month, he posted links supporting anti-vaccine opinions, and linked to Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychologist known as a “men’s rights activist,” the Daily Beast reported.

Forbes Valuation

Irving, an eight-time all-star, signed a four-year, $141 million contract in 2019 with the Nets after he left the Boston Celtics. He made Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes in 2021, when he took in $44 million, although he dropped off the list last year, and is expected to make just over $36.9 million in the 2022-2023 season.