Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving was handed a suspension of at least five games on November 3rd after sharing a link to a film with antisemitic material on his social media on October 27th. The NBA superstar was given multiple chances to unequivocally apologize and denounce the film’s contents while condemning and choosing not to.
Irving issued an apology on his Instagram account hours after the suspension was handed down, but the Nets wanted to see more from him. They provided a checklist of things they wanted him to complete before returning to the court and he has reportedly gone above and beyond, on his own accord, to accomplish them.
As a result, Irving is close to returning to the court. According to The Athletic, Irving is expected to be cleared to return to play in the team’s next game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, November 20th.
Irving has not played since November 1st, as he has missed eight consecutive games as a result of the suspension. The Nets have gone 5-3 during that span, getting their season back on track with new head coach Jacque Vaughn at the helm following Steve Nash and the franchise mutually agreeing to part ways.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving & Brooklyn Nets Updates
As part of the process to return to the court, Irving has met with commissioner Adam Silver and Nets’ owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai. Both meetings were productive and understanding was found as everyone is working toward growing from the events that occurred.
“We spent quality time to understand each other and it’s clear to me that Kyrie does not have any beliefs of hate towards Jewish people or any group,” Tsai tweeted on Nov. 11. “The Nets and Kyrie, together with the NBA and NBPA, are working constructively toward a process of forgiveness, healing and education.”
While Irving is getting close to getting back on the court, his actions have had some consequences. His partnership with Nike was suspended indefinitely and the release of his new shoe was canceled.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving & Brooklyn Nets Updates
This was an unprecedented situation that drew some strong opinions from a lot of people. Irving is no stranger to stirring up controversy, as he has been involved in plenty during his Nets’ tenure. He and the team are hoping that the focus can now shift to the basketball court, where the Nets are currently 7-9 despite some incredible performances from Kevin Durant thus far this season.
