Adam Silver disappointed Kyrie Irving didn’t apologize

The popular fixture who sits (and stands) behind the basket at Barclays Center, from where he tries to hex opposing foul shooters, is sticking by a Nets team that has invited controversy at every turn. The concern dearest to Whammy, though, surrounds Kyrie Irving, who last week used his social media to plug a movie that includes antisemitic tropes. Whammy, as we will call him, is Jewish, and said he has written Irving a letter, which will be sent to the Nets. “Hopefully when he reads my letter, he should understand how he should act,” Whammy said over the phone Wednesday. -via New York Post / November 3, 2022

Whammy speaks fondly of Jarrett Allen, who was sent to Cleveland in the failed three-way trade that briefly brought James Harden to Brooklyn. Years ago, Whammy introduced himself to the young big man. “I said, ‘Do you have grandparents?’ He said, ‘No, but now I do,’” said Whammy, a regular attendee at Nets games since they were based in New Jersey in the 1990s. “Isn’t that beautiful?” Whammy said he taught Allen to shoot foul shots, and shaky free-throw shooter Nic Claxton will be his next project. Caris LeVert, also part of that trade with the Cavaliers, was a hugger. “I’m a little depressed that I don’t get the reaction from this team,” said Whammy, who was close enough with Jason Kidd that he attended his 2018 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. “But in time they will.” -via New York Post / November 3, 2022

Kyrie Irving’s trade value appears to be at an all-time low. ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his The Lowe Post podcast on Wednesday (around the 25-minute mark) that Irving is considered “radioactive” around the NBA: “I talked to a lot of people around the league over the weekend, and the sense I get right now is he’s radioactive. Even if you drop the price to nothing, the baggage is just too much. And you want to talk about how the Lakers are the most desperate team in the league. All right, the Lakers also play in a gigantic cosmopolitan city. All of the residents are following this story. I just don’t know what else they’re supposed to do except try to salvage and you’re telling me it’s unsalvageable.” -via Bleacher Report / November 3, 2022