Following the Brooklyn Nets’ decision to suspend Kyrie Irving for what the team called a “failure to disavow antisemitism,” the organization reportedly delivered to Irving a list of six tasks he must complete before a return to the court can be considered.
One of those conditions was for an apology, which Irving issued on Instagram hours after his suspension. The Nets also want Irving to attend sensitivity and antisemitism training sessions, according to Shams Charania, and meet with the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish leaders and team owner Joe Tsai, whom Irving reportedly ignored in the buildup to his suspension.
While most NBA players have remained quiet about the Irving situation, NBPA vice president Jaylen Brown said on Monday that he expects the NBPA to appeal Irving’s suspension, and called the Nets’ conditions “a lot.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith went a step further on Tuesday, and accused the Nets of trying to emasculate Irving. According to Smith, the Nets should either bring Irving back to the team or decide to have him out the rest of the year, without requiring any additional conditions to be satisfied.
“Now you’re going a step too far, OK? The man apologized. He’s been suspended, and that should be that. Now you as an organization have to make [the decision], do you want him on your team? Do you keep him the rest of the year? Or you can elect to let him go while making him sit home, and you have to pay him unless you trade him. It’s that simple.
But to sit up there and have these list of conditions that he has to do – I think what you’re trying to do is elevate the level of embarrassment that is being thrown in his direction, and dare I say emasculate him. Which is why Jaylen Brown has spoken up, which is why Black people are going to raise holy hell about that, and which is why I’m going to be one of those folks leading the chorus to raise holy hell about that.
Leave the man alone. Keep him on the team or let him go. Suspend him, bring him back. But when you start talking about ‘he needs training’ and all of that. Wait a minute, wait a minute now.”
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