Jaylen Brown Points Out Own Mistake In Kyrie Irving Support Tweet

Kyrie Irving returned to the Nets on Sunday after completing the terms of his suspension.

Brooklyn had a six-item checklist for Irving to complete before he could return to the team. A day before the team’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, Irving issued another apology. He initially apologized with an Instagram post after promoting a film on social media with anti-Semitic ideologies weeks ago. The All-NBA guard, at first, didn’t stand down from his actions, and while facing immense backlash, the 30-year-old refused to take accountability, which led to the Nets suspending him — the suspension lasted eight games.

The Black Hebrew Israelite group “Israel United in Christ” were outside of Barclays Center hours before tipoff singing in celebration and support of Irving’s return — the group also stood outside of Barclays Center on Nov. 9 in response to the All-Star’s suspension. The support caught the attention of Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who has been a defender of Irving’s and has not been a fan of the suspension. The Boston guard tweeted, “Energy,” in response to a video of the group’s support for the Nets star.

Israel United in Christ has been labeled as “an extreme and anti-Semitic sect of Black Hebrew Israelites” by the Anti-Defamation League. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes “Radical Hebrew Israelites” as an “ideology splintered to form increasingly anti-Semitic, anti-white, anti-LGBTQ, xenophobic and misogynistic sect of groups who preach they and only they are the true Israelites of the bible and perpetuate the anti-Semitic belief that ‘so-called’ Jews have stolen their identity and ‘birthright.’ “

Many pointed out the concerning alleged support of the hate group, and Brown clarified his initial response.

“I was not aware of what specific group that was outside of Barclay’s Center tonight,” Brown tweeted. “I was celebrating the unification of our people welcoming the return of Kyrie to the court, first glance I thought it was a known fraternity the (C/Que’s) Omega psi phi (step’n) showing support.”

Brown tweeted photos of Omega Psi Phi, the first fraternal organization founded at a historically black university, who he believed was shown in the original video, and both groups do wear similar purple and yellow shirts, though the text in front of the shirts are distinctly different.

Irving received cheers from the Nets home crowd during pregame introductions, and Brooklyn beat the Grizzlies, 127-115, behind the guard’s 14 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes of action.