The NBA commissioner Adam Silver told The New York Times that he does not believe the Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving is antisemitic.
Adam recently met Irving and therefore discovered the truth. Joe Tsai, the franchise owner, was also present at the meeting.
“He’s someone I’ve known for a decade and I’ve never heard a word from him against Jews or hatred directed at any group.” Adam said.
“So it is not relevant whether or not he is antisemitic. The issue is the harm caused by posting hateful content,” Adam added.
Adam added he agrees with the punishment the Brooklyn Nets gave Kyrie Irving for spreading the antisemitic video.
Initially, the player was suspended for five games. The NBA commissioner, by the way, explained that the decision was made in conjunction with the franchise.
“I feel like we got the right result here in terms of suspension. So I think we could have made that decision faster. I accept this criticism. However, I felt it was important to understand the context of the publication.” Adam said.
“When we did this investigation, it became clear to me that it was hate speech. So we, along with the Brooklyn Nets, responded [with the punishment],” he added.
Joe Tsai adopted a similar tone to Silver and complied with the same impression of Irving.
After the conversation, the Nets owner said he was sure that his player is not prejudiced, even though he shared an excerpt from a film offensive to the Jewish people.
“It is clear to me that Kyrie has no hateful beliefs against Jews or any group. The Nets and Kyrie, along with the NBA and NBPA, are working toward a process of forgiveness and education.” Joe said.
