NBA’s Adam Silver: Kyrie Irving ‘Very Remorseful’ About 2022 Post on Antisemitic Film

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIJune 8, 2024

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes that Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is “very remorseful” for his sharing and promotion of an antisemitic documentary (and ensuing actions leading to an eight-game suspension) in 2022, when he played for the Brooklyn Nets.

“Absolutely,” Silver told Sam Amick of The Athletic, when asked if he felt Irving was remorseful about sharing the film.

“I think in our private conversations, which at the time included (former NBPA executive director) Tamika Tremaglio … he was very remorseful. He took responsibility. I think we all know he can be a bit stubborn, and I think he felt strongly that he needed to speak in his own words in terms of how he expressed himself in terms of an apology to the public.”

Silver also added: “There was no doubt for me — and I wouldn’t have said what I did at the time if I didn’t feel that he was absolutely remorseful and was committed to doing the right thing going forward, and also to being empathetic to how others might have perceived his comments.”

In October 2022, Irving (then a member of the Brooklyn Nets) shared a link on his Twitter account to a film called: “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” a documentary “stuffed with antisemitic tropes” and contains “ideas in line with more extreme factions of the Black Hebrew Israelites, which have a long history of misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and especially antisemitism,” per Rolling Stone’s Jon Blistein.

Irving defended his actions to reporters when asked about them following his team’s 116-109 win over the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 31, 2022.

“Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody, did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people?” he said.

“It’s on Amazon, a public platform, whether you want to go watch it or not, is up to you. There’s things being posted every day. I’m no different than the next human being, so don’t treat me any different.”

Irving was eventually suspended by the Nets for eight games after he refused to say he had no antisemitic beliefs when confronted about the situation in a press conference with reporters in Nov. 2022.

He was reinstated three weeks later, and had this to say upon his return.

“I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is going against the human race,” Irving told reporters.

“I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us and I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions, because there was a way I should have handled all this and as I look back and reflect when I had the opportunity to offer my deep regrets to anyone that felt threatened or felt hurt by what I posted, that wasn’t my intent at all.”

Irving was traded to the Mavericks three months later. He is now helping lead the Western Conference champions in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, who hold a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 is set for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.