Adam Silver Takes Issue With Kyrie Irving’s ‘Reckless’ Decision, Apology

If NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s statement is any indication, Kyrie Irving hasn’t yet fully escaped the hot water into which he recently did a massive cannonball.

Silver on Thursday broke his silence about Irving’s tumultuous week. The Brooklyn Nets guard came under fire last week when he posted a link without comment to a movie that featured antisemitic themes. Given the chance to take responsibility and ownership for his action, Irving got defensive in a press conference, leading to a bizarre and rather uncomfortable scene.

It wasn’t until Wednesday that Irving offered an apology but stopped short of completely denouncing the film and its themes. That led to the statement from Silver, who is Jewish, on Thursday.

“Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply antisemitic material,” Silver said in a statement released by the league. “While we appreciate the fact that he agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize. I will be meeting with Kyrie in person next week to discuss the situation.”

In addition to that “unqualified apology,” Irving also said he’s making a $500,000 donation to support the cause.