Kyrie Irving claims to support people who stand up for what they believe in, so hopefully he came away admiring a small group of fans who sat courtside Monday at Barclays Center.
A half-dozen or so fans who had court-level seats for the Brooklyn Nets’ matchup with the Indiana Pacers wore “Fight Anti-Semitism” T-shirts in an unmistakable statement targeted at Irving. The ex-Boston Celtics guard sparked controversy last week for tweeting support for the film, “Hebrews To Negroes,” which is based on a book that reportedly includes many anti-Semitic tropes and historical inaccuracies.
Alec Sturm of Nets Daily tweeted a photo that was the first to be widely shared, with higher quality photos like the one below coming out after the game.
At one point, Irving gave the fans a thumbs-up, according to SI.com’s Jelani Scott.
Irving has drawn much condemnation, including from his team’s owner, Joe Tsai, but concerningly has also drawn some support or, in many cases, silence. Coach Steve Nash offered the most empty, meaningless canned response to Irving’s remarks, and the Nets refused to make Irving available to the media after Monday’s game, according to reporters who were present.
Then again, considering how Irving embarrassed himself in his last exchange with a reporter who attempted to challenge his viewpoint, it’s probably best for everyone if nobody hears any more of what Irving has to say.
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