Picture credit: Twitter
Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving might have never thought of the repercussions he is currently facing for promoting an anti-Semitic film on social media. However, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James have backed the Nets star to return to the basketball court as they believe Irving is "not anti-Semitic."
Following Irving's failure to apologize for his social media controversy, Brooklyn Nets decided to suspend their star guard for at least five games without pay last week. Since his suspension the Nets have played four NBA games against the Wizards, Hornets, Mavericks and Knicks while they are scheduled to face the Clippers on Saturday.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met Irving earlier this week and while talking at the Sports Business Journal Dealmakers Conference in Washington on Thursday, Silver said, "I personally, based on what he said directly to me, have no doubt that he’s not anti-Semitic . But I think there’s a process that he’s going to now need to go through."
LeBron James backs Kyrie Irving to play
Reflecting to his earlier comments LeBron James made after the Lakers game last week, the four-time NBA champion said, "I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information."
LeBron James took to his official Twitter handle and backed his former teammate, who has apologized for sharing the anti-Semitic content, to return to the floor as Irving is wrongly 'portrayed'. James wrote, "And I’ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple. Help him learn- but he should be playing."
Irving has to satisfy a number of mandates to return to the basketball court and he has completed one of the mandates by meeting Silver this week. However, LeBron James believed that the process of his return to the floor is 'excessive'.
The second all-time leading NBA scorer continued, "What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive (IMO). He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him."
Kyrie Irving is expected to return for Brooklyn Nets' road game against Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday as he would complete his 'at least five-match suspension' by missing the game against the Clippers on Saturday.