Kevin Durant said Friday the Brooklyn Nets could have handled this tumultuous week a little differently — a week in which his coach was fired and teammate Kyrie Irving was suspended for posting a link to anti-Semitic material.
Posted at 12:59 p.m.
Then Durant clarified on Twitter that he doesn’t condone hate speech and that it’s “about spreading the love all the time.”
Durant spoke Friday during the Nets’ morning warmup in Washington ahead of the evening game against the Wizards. When asked what he thought of Irving’s recent conduct, which earned him a minimum five-game suspension, Durant replied, “I’m not here to judge anyone or anyone. to disparage anyone for their feelings, opinions or anything. I just didn’t like what happened.
“I had the impression that all this was not necessary. I thought we could have kept playing basketball and kept it quiet as an organization. »
Within an hour, Durant followed up with a tweet.
“I just want to clarify the statements I made in the morning, I see that some people are confused, he said. I don’t tolerate hate speech or antisemitism, I’m always spreading the love. Our sport unites people and I want to make sure that stays front and center. »
Irving still apologized on Instagram for not explaining the specific beliefs he agreed and disagreed with when posting about the documentary.
Nets general manager Sean Marks said Friday the team has had some dialogue with Irving, but not enough given the circumstances.
“The organization tried several times to speak with Kyrie and his representative to clarify their feelings and express their remorse, but that did not happen, and he refused to disavow it until his last night’s tweet,” Marks said.
Marks added that Irving’s apology was a step, but actions will speak louder than words. He also clarified that the team has no plans to release Irving at this time.
“There are going to be steps and corrective measures that have been put in place for him to obviously seek advice … to deal with certain anti-hate and Jewish leaders within our community,” Marks said. He’s going to have to sit down with them, he’s going to have to sit down with the organization after that, and we’re going to assess and see if this is the right opportunity to bring him back. »
Irving’s reluctance to apologize came hours before the FBI said it had received credible information about a “significant” threat to synagogues in New Jersey, Irving’s home state.
On Saturday in Florida, the phrase “Kanye is right about the Jews” was projected outside one of the touchdown zones at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville during the Florida-Georgia football game-a reference to recent anti-Semitic comments the music mogul, formerly known as Kanye West, has made on social media and in interviews. The incidents come four years after the deadliest attack on American Jews, when 11 people were killed at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
The Nets also parted ways with coach Steve Nash this week and, despite the star duo formed by Durant and Irving, the team is 2-6. According to Durant, the team has the ability to shrug off all that turbulence.
“It’s like that in the NBA now. There are so many media outlets now and their stories are coming pretty fast. That’s where all the chaos comes from, he said. Everyone’s opinions, everyone has an opinion on the situation, we hear it all the time, but once the ball starts bouncing and we get into practice, none of that really seeps through in the gym. »