Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has said that NBA players are uncomfortable with the ‘harsh’ terms given to Kyrie Irving in order to make his return to the court.
Kyrie Irving has been in the news for all the wrong reasons this season. The Brooklyn Nets superstar got into trouble after he posted a tweet promoting a film portraying anti-Semitic sentiments, and when given multiple chances by the media to apologize or address his mistake – Irving kept his stance and hence was suspended by the Nets for five games without pay.
It was only last week that Irving posted the Amazon page for “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” – a 2018 film based on a book of the same name that heavily showcases anti-Semitic tropes and ideologies. The tweet meant that Irving received plenty of backlashes, while the Nets as well as franchise owner Joe Tsai came out with statements condemning Kyrie’s actions. However, Kyrie did not apologize or hold himself accountable for his actions even when repeatedly given chances by the media to do so.
Kyrie’s inability to strongly suggest that he has no anti-Semitic beliefs forced the Nets to suspend the star for five games without pay – however, it turns out that Kyrie has been given a few terms to follow if he wants to make his NBA return. The terms will require Kyrie to apologize, condemn the film and donate $500,000 to any cause or organization that fights racial bias and hatred – before meeting with the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish leaders and finally meeting Joe Tsai to address his understanding.
However, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has said that the NBA players’ union are uncomfortable with the terms.
What did Jaylen Brown have to say about the terms handed to Kyrie Irving?
The Celtics star said that the terms handed to Irving for his return are harsh.
Brown, who has previously played with Irving for the Celtics, made a point to say that he does not think Irving is anti-Semitic. Brown also went on to say that he hopes Irving’s imminent meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will help the NBA and the NBPA (National Basketball Players’ Association) can set guidelines to handle similar situations in the future.
“I don’t believe Kyrie Irving is anti-Semitic,” Brown said. “I don’t think people in our governing bodies think he’s anti-Semitic. He made a mistake. We understand from an outside perspective how important sensitivity is to not condone hate speech and not condone anything of that nature. It’s sensitivity to the dialect around that.”
More News:
• NBA insider claims Kyrie Irving’s future in Brooklyn is questionable despite recent apology
