Kyrie Irving has engaged in a fiery war-of-words with a journalist at a Brooklyn Nets press conference.
The NBA megastar has become embroiled an off-court saga involving a 2018 movie titled 'Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America', which Nets team owner Joe Tsai describes as “full of anti-Semitic information”.
Kyrie tweeted about the film and was subsequently asked about it by a reporter.
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“Please stop calling it a promotion,” Irving hit back when question about it.
“What am I promoting? I put it out there, just like you put things out there. You put things out there for a living, right?
“Great, so let’s move on. Don’t dehumanise me up here.
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“I’m another human being, I can post whatever I want, so say that and shut it down and move on to the next question.
“I don’t have to understand anything from you, nothing. Move on, next question. Do you guys have anymore questions for me?
“Because this is going to be a clip that he’s going to marvel at.
“Oh it’s another answer to your question. Oh my god, make another Instagram clip so we can be famous again.”
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The entire time, the journalist was trying to interject but couldn't really get a word in edgeways.
After Brooklyn issued a statement saying they “strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech”, Irving addressed the matter on social media, saying he respects “all walks of life and religions”.
“I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs,” he tweeted.
“The ‘antisemitic’ 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.”
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Team owner Tsai also made his feelings on the issues known.
“I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-Semitic disinformation,” Tsai said.
“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.
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“This is bigger than basketball.”
Topics: Australia, Basketball, NBA
Max Sherry