His breakup with the Brooklyn Nets wasn’t the only controversy Kyrie Irving answered to Tuesday.
As he was introduced as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, Irving also addressed his social media apology to the Jewish community that since has been taken down. The star point guard back in the fall apologized via Instagram for promoting a film with anti-Semitic themes, which ultimately earned Irving a suspension from the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving explained to Dallas media that it’s common for him to delete Instagram posts. The polarizing point guard also insisted he stands by the apology, although it’s no longer available to the public.
“I stand by who I am and why I apologized,” Irving told reporters, per ESPN. “And I did it because I care about my family and I have Jewish members of my family that care for me deeply. Did the media know that beforehand when they call me that word, antisemitic? No. Did they know anything about my family? No. Everything was assumed. Everything was put out before I had anything to say. And I reacted, instead of responding emotionally, maturely. I didn’t need to be defensive or go at anybody. So I stand by my apology, and I stand by my people everywhere, all walks of life, all races, all religions.”
Irving is set to make his Mavericks debut Wednesday night when Dallas visits the Los Angeles Clippers.
