Richard Jefferson slammed Kyrie Irving while speaking on the Nets' broadcast, during the team's game on Saturday night. The former NBA star was upset with Irving promoting an antisemitic film on Twitter.
"It is disappointing," Jefferson said. "Kyrie says he's not antisemitic and these things, but the tweet is still up. The tweet is still up there. He earlier in the summer posted Alex Jones… You have to understand how you use your social media."
In the original tweet, Irving linked to the Amazon page for a movie called Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America. The Nets shared a statement after Irving's tweet was published, condemning the post.
“The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech,” the team wrote. “We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue. We thank those, including the ADL, who have been supportive during this time.”
Nets owner Joe Tsai also condemned the tweet in a post on his own account.
"I'm disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of antisemitic disinformation," Tsai tweeted. "I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion."
After widespread backlash, Irving wrote on Twitter that he "meant no disrespect," and that being labeled antisemitic is "not justified."
"I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs," he wrote. "The 'Anti-Semitic' label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions."
Nets head coach Steve Nash said that the incident will not be a distraction for the team going forward, and that he stands by the statement put out by the organization.
Check out Richard Jefferson's comments during the Nets' game below.
[Via]
