Suspended Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving would already be back on the court playing if it was up to NBA superstar LeBron James.
James came to the defense of his former teammate Thursday as Irving is serving a team-issued suspension for at least five games after posting a film with anti-Semitic ideologies on social media. He then had two disaster media availabilities in which Irving got into a heated exchange with a reporter at one and then refused to take accountability at another, which was the last straw for the Nets before banning Irving.
The Nets want Irving, who apologized on Instagram last week, to complete six actions before he can return, a punishment that James deems way too harsh.
“I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information. And I’ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play,” James tweeted. “That’s what I think. It’s that simple. Help him learn — but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him. Anyways back to my rehab session.”
James’ sentiment is actually similar to that of Jaylen Brown. The Boston Celtics star told The Boston Globe earlier this week that he, along with several other NBA players, didn’t agree with the Nets’ return to play policy for Irving.
Irving reportedly met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday, but it doesn’t seem the face-to-face time has changed Irving’s status with the Nets.
Brooklyn has won three out of its four games without Irving, but there are still plenty of distractions surrounding the organization. And with Irving front and center with that, it’s plausible to think it led to the Nets backing away from hiring Ime Udoka and instead naming Jacque Vaughn the team’s head coach Wednesday.
