Kyrie is dirty rotten no good and we have schadenfreude…?

Red Right Ankle

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I don't think there is any evidence that anyone (Nets, media, the league, the general public, posters on this board, etc.) found his response acceptable. It has been pretty much universally condemned as unacceptable.
We talking about the joint 1M buyoff BS with the Nets cause that was clearly endorsed by the Nets?
 

DGreenwood

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We talking about the joint 1M buyoff BS with the Nets cause that was clearly endorsed by the Nets?
As others have speculated, my guess is that the Nets and their PR team tried to convince Kyrie to be more openly apologetic but that this was the best they could get him to commit to. The situation is still ongoing and Tsai has been pretty vocal that he views Kyrie's actions as unacceptable. I see your point that the Nets signing off on the joint statement could be construed as them seeing it as an acceptable outcome, but I think it was more likely the first step and that the Nets are working with the league on how to handle the situation since they aren't getting anywhere with him.

My main point is that the NBA should handle anti-semitism the same way, regardless of the religion of its commissioner.
 

snowmanny

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They are really dropping the ball on this. It’s been handled as poorly as can be by nets & nba.
Totally disagree
The commissioner being Jewish (not sure if he's practicing or not) probably played into the league's response here.
Totally disagree

I think the Nets did a pretty good job - not perfect but it absolutely could have been way way worse - and the statement from the NBA was very strong.

I also think that Silver would have made a similar statement if it had been something, say, anti-Muslim or anti-Asian..
 

joe dokes

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I certainly hope Silver's religion didn't play a part in his reaction. I doubt it did. (Kyrie might have a different view of that. I hope he shares it.)

It *is* pretty rare, though, for a not-an-apology apology (which are common) to get called out so swiftly for the BS that it is.
 

Red Right Ankle

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As others have speculated, my guess is that the Nets and their PR team tried to convince Kyrie to be more openly apologetic but that this was the best they could get him to commit to. The situation is still ongoing and Tsai has been pretty vocal that he views Kyrie's actions as unacceptable. I see your point that the Nets signing off on the joint statement could be construed as them seeing it as an acceptable outcome, but I think it was more likely the first step and that the Nets are working with the league on how to handle the situation since they aren't getting anywhere with him.

My main point is that the NBA should handle anti-semitism the same way, regardless of the religion of its commissioner.
We definitely agree on the last sentence.

The first paragraph is reasonable speculation, though I'm more inclined to think the Nets thought getting the ADL on board would be enough to get the world to drop it and that's why they signed off on it.
 

Kliq

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An NBA team should hand out the Stop Anti-Semitism shirts similar to the ones that group was wearing the other night, to everyone similarly to how they will hand out special shirts during playoff games.
 

Red Right Ankle

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Totally disagree

Totally disagree

I think the Nets did a pretty good job - not perfect but it absolutely could have been way way worse - and the statement from the NBA was very strong.

I also think that Silver would have made a similar statement if it had been something, say, anti-Muslim or anti-Asian..
Totally disagree re: the Nets. Attempting to bribe Jewish people off with a 1M payment to the ADL is bullcrap. It's not the worst possible response, but, as a Jewish person, it wasn't much better. Like in order of worst possible actions to take, it's: 1) endorse Kyrie's statement, 2) say nothing and 3) what the Nets actually did.

I agree Silver would have made the same statement if it had been anti-Muslim, etc. as he seems to get how to deal with racism, sexism and other discrimination better than, say Goodell, does. Being part of a historically targeted group almost certainly plays into that, though of course, not all my co-religionists have been able to internalize that what happens to us shouldn't happen to others, sadly.
 
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Marciano490

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I’m not sure, in light of the Ime news, why anyone would still assume Tsai is right minded on any issue.

As for Silver being Jewish, I thought that might actually make him less likely to speak out. It’s completely unfair and bullshit, but a super powerful Jewish man who’s head of what’s essentially a giant international media empire…
 

Jimbodandy

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The unwinding of this guy and this franchise really just makes me appreciate LBJ more than ever. When folks' main gripes about you are that you have used your status to influence player personnel decisions on your team and having taken an unfortunate, financially-driven position on PRC--after 20+ years in the spotlight--that's a pretty solid resume.
 

joe dokes

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We definitely agree on the last sentence.

The first paragraph is reasonable speculation, though I'm more inclined to think the Nets thought getting the ADL on board would be enough to get the world to drop it and that's why they signed off on it.
Reading Kyrie's words, I'm assuming now that he never even met with the ADL (“i was informed that they wanted to have a meeting. and we handled it.”)
So he basically wrote a check. He thinks he actually proved his point.
 

Euclis20

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I’m not sure, in light of the Ime news, why anyone would still assume Tsai is right minded on any issue.

As for Silver being Jewish, I thought that might actually make him less likely to speak out. It’s completely unfair and bullshit, but a super powerful Jewish man who’s head of what’s essentially a giant international media empire…
100%, in the same way that Obama was hesitant to speak out on racism while he was in office. The optics are unfair.
 

Red Right Ankle

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I certainly hope Silver's religion didn't play a part in his reaction. I doubt it did. (Kyrie might have a different view of that. I hope he shares it.)

It *is* pretty rare, though, for a not-an-apology apology (which are common) to get called out so swiftly for the BS that it is.
Haha, it seems I didn't write clearly enough at first! I don't think Silver did it only because he's Jewish and Kyrie was being anti-Semitic (i.e. because of tribalism), but rather that he gets this stuff more viscerally than someone like Goodell.
 

E5 Yaz

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What organization do the Nets and Ime donate a million to when they name him coach?
 

soxhop411

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Maybe questions are not allowed but one simple question can test the light of this beacon:
"Did the holocaust happen?"
the NBA would bring out a giant hook, and yank him out of the press room before he could answer that....

seriously though, Like with Twitter and Sterling, At a certain point advertisers wont want to be associated with this bullshit being spread by Kyrie..
 

Euclis20

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Maybe questions are not allowed but one simple question can test the light of this beacon:
"Did the holocaust happen?"
He'll say of course it did, in the same way he said that Sandy Hook really happened but Alex Jones was still right about other things. It's the lowest of low bars, and acknowledging the obvious shouldn't (and won't) get him out of this mess.
 

joe dokes

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Maybe questions are not allowed but one simple question can test the light of this beacon:
"Did the holocaust happen?"
As would "why did you apologize?" While it begs the question of whether he did actually apologize (he didn't), I'd like to see what he says.
 

Auger34

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As would "why did you apologize?" While it begs the question of whether he did actually apologize (he didn't), I'd like to see what he says.
That would have been a great question and I have no idea how he would have answered.

He 100% unequivocally still believes the content of that video.

His line of “how can I hate if I know where I came from?” Proves that.

tweet below is from Drew Magary going into more detail

View: https://twitter.com/drewmagary/status/1588208559384305665
 

djbayko

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That would have been a great question and I have no idea how he would have answered.

He 100% unequivocally still believes the content of that video.

His line of “how can I hate if I know where I came from?” Proves that.

tweet below is from Drew Magary going into more detail

View: https://twitter.com/drewmagary/status/1588208559384305665
That whole lengthy interview question answer was just chock full of phrasing which implied that he still believed the video and was being true to himself by trying to placate people while not backing down.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Can someone decode "if I know where I come from" for me?

When I first read it, I read it as like many non-apology statements -- like Thom Brennaman's if you knew me you wouldn't think I'm hateful.

Those are awful non-apology apologies, but it seems like there's also some code behind "I know where I come from" that is consistent with the theme of the movie.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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I’m not sure, in light of the Ime news, why anyone would still assume Tsai is right minded on any issue.
But the Nets are going to cut Kyrie because Tsai is a beacon of light! He only paid off the ADL because of his superior morality. Not because Kyrie refused to issue a public apology and this was his best PR effort.

Definitely gonna cut Kyrie. Aannnnyy minute now...
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Can someone decode "if I know where I come from" for me?

When I first read it, I read it as like many non-apology statements -- like Thom Brennaman's if you knew me you wouldn't think I'm hateful.

Those are awful non-apology apologies, but it seems like there's also some code behind "I know where I come from" that is consistent with the theme of the movie.
I took it to mean...I can't be an anti-semite. Watch the movie...I'm a descendant from the original jews. Today's jew stole that from me and my people.
 

ehaz

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I took it to mean...I can't be an anti-semite. Watch the movie...I'm a descendant from the original jews. Today's jew stole that from me and my people.
Yeah this is exactly what I took it to mean. He doubled down. Add this to the bucket of shoulda been last straws.
 

InstaFace

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The unwinding of this guy and this franchise really just makes me appreciate LBJ more than ever. When folks' main gripes about you are that you have used your status to influence player personnel decisions on your team and having taken an unfortunate, financially-driven position on PRC--after 20+ years in the spotlight--that's a pretty solid resume.
Oh, 100%. I used to loathe LeBron when he was the Celtics' main antagonist in the eastern conference, but all fair complaints about him start and stop with what happens on the court (like the whining expectantly for calls). Off the court, he is a model husband and dad, a model public figure, clearly someone with a ton of integrity and moral compass. Sports would be a far better place if its heroes were more like LeBron James.
 

InstaFace

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Can someone decode "if I know where I come from" for me?

When I first read it, I read it as like many non-apology statements -- like Thom Brennaman's if you knew me you wouldn't think I'm hateful.

Those are awful non-apology apologies, but it seems like there's also some code behind "I know where I come from" that is consistent with the theme of the movie.
So yeah the whole Black Israelite thing, but I think that was blended into a fine puree with an equal helping of roughly something like:

"I'm from the working-class neighborhood of [checks notes] West Orange NJ, where the median income is [checks notes] over $100,000 per year, and I grew up the son of a professional basketball player, so I know oppression, and bias, and what a lack of privilege does to people. So don't go accusing me of ignorance, because I've seen the real world, I'm not blinded by my bubble like the rest of these millionaires, so if I watch something and decide 'hey maybe the Jews are the source of all the evil in the world', you need to respect that and get off my ass."

Or maybe he's just been listening to "Jenny from the Block".
 

DJnVa

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The unwinding of this guy and this franchise really just makes me appreciate LBJ more than ever. When folks' main gripes about you are that you have used your status to influence player personnel decisions on your team and having taken an unfortunate, financially-driven position on PRC--after 20+ years in the spotlight--that's a pretty solid resume.

Oh, 100%. I used to loathe LeBron when he was the Celtics' main antagonist in the eastern conference, but all fair complaints about him start and stop with what happens on the court (like the whining expectantly for calls). Off the court, he is a model husband and dad, a model public figure, clearly someone with a ton of integrity and moral compass. Sports would be a far better place if its heroes were more like LeBron James.
His PRC stance is slightly more than "unfortunate" and a strong moral compass would have him stand up to the NBA's China position, but that's for another thread.
 

cornwalls@6

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Not a single active player is going to call Kyrie out, are they?

Like @SemperFidelisSox said...
They're not. And I don't how much of that can be interpreted as the league is full of guys with similar anti-semitic leanings, or if it's just another iteration of republicans buy sneakers too. Or some kind of idiotic, don't call anybody out, bro-code. But the silence is deafening. And pretty shameful.
 

BigSoxFan

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They're not. And I don't how much of that can be interpreted as the league is full of guys with similar anti-semitic leanings, or if it's just another iteration of republicans buy sneakers too. Or some kind of idiotic, don't call anybody out, bro-code. But the silence is deafening. And pretty shameful.
NBA players will only speak up when it really matters, like when someone throws an unnecessary elbow during a game or when James Harden flops too egregiously.
 

jose melendez

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I listened to Raja Bell on Simmons today talking about how nice Kyrie had been to him and his kids. And I think that's a lot of what is going on. Kyrie is nice to people on an interpersonal level, so they like him "Hey, he was never a bigot to me!" Maybe not that different from Kraft and Trump. They think they see the "real person." But judging someone primarily on how they treat you is a really limiting way to look at people.
 

jose melendez

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NBA players will only speak up when it really matters, like when someone throws an unnecessary elbow during a game or when James Harden flops too egregiously.
They spoke up plenty during BLM--this is wrong. What might be right though, is that anti-semitism doesn't feel real to most NBA players in the way anti-blackness does. I'm going to bet damn near every Jew the average NBA players knows is a rich guy. "Hey, they don't seem like they have it so bad."
 

Mystic Merlin

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I listened to Raja Bell on Simmons today talking about how nice Kyrie had been to him and his kids. And I think that's a lot of what is going on. Kyrie is nice to people on an interpersonal level, so they like him "Hey, he was never a bigot to me!" Maybe not that different from Kraft and Trump. They think they see the "real person." But judging someone primarily on how they treat you is a really limiting way to look at people.
Bill gently called him on how absurd that is, and Raja had no response. I guess just be nice to someone’s kids for 5 minutes and you’ll get a pass?

Raja also suggested that Kyrie surrounded himself with the wrong people and it has warped him. Since he’s a man in his 30s, and not 12 years old, I think he’s got the causality exactly backwards.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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They spoke up plenty during BLM--this is wrong. What might be right though, is that anti-semitism doesn't feel real to most NBA players in the way anti-blackness does. I'm going to bet damn near every Jew the average NBA players knows is a rich guy. "Hey, they don't seem like they have it so bad."
There's also the non-zero chance that some of them agree with his statement. I've seen more support for Kanye and Irving over these statements than I expected, especially from the black community on social media.

I wouldn't say it's a large percentage of the audience, but it's there.
 

Jimbodandy

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His PRC stance is slightly more than "unfortunate" and a strong moral compass would have him stand up to the NBA's China position, but that's for another thread.
No argument. Just saying that if cameras followed most of us from age 16 to age 37, they'd see a lot worse shit than a bad and selfish human rights take over a league partner. It's a big fuckup, but it's basically one big fuckup in the entire adult life of a guy whose fuckups we would all know. It's pretty remarkable.
 

soxhop411

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View: https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1588316495456739333

statement:

BROOKLYN (Nov. 3, 2022)
"Over the last several
days, we have made repeated attempts to work with
Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and
danger of his words and actions, which began with him
publicizing a film containing deeply disturbing
antisemitic hate. We believed that taking the path of
education in this challenging situation would be the right
one and thought that we had made progress with our
joint commitment to eradicating hate and intolerance.
We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in
a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say
he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific
hateful material in the film. This was not the first time
he had the opportunity - but failed - to clarify.
Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear
opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the
values of our organization, and constitutes conduct
detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the view
that he is currently unfit to be associated with the
Brooklyn Nets. We have decided that Kyrie will serve a
suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of
objective remedial measures that address the harmful
impact of his conduct and the suspension period served
is no less than five games."