Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving has been all over the news for some time now. Last month, he posted the link to a highly controversial supposedly anti-semitic movie on his social media. Subsequently, many celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have sounded off on the controversial issue.

During a segement on ‘Inside the NBA’, Shaq and Chuck held nothing back while addressing Irving’s remarks. They even called him an ‘idiot’ for expressing potentially anti-semitic views. However, two NBA veterans have recently called out Shaq and Chuck for their criticism of Kyrie Irving.

Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf recently addressed the Kyrie Irving controversy. According to them, people like O’Neal and Barkley need to stand by their principles while acknowledging the sacrifices of their ancestors.

Former NBA players criticize Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley for their views on Kyrie Irving

NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley are known for their honest opinions on issues pertaining to the basketball court and beyond. When Kyrie Irving was all over the news for his anti-semitic views, the two held nothing back.

Barkley and O’Neal talked about how they have to answer as a community due to Irving’s stupidity while calling him an ‘idiot’. O’Neal and Barkley have a combined net worth of around $650 million with Shaq contributing to the majority of it with his staggering net worth. Their comments were not taken well by former NBA stars Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.

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Hodges said, “We have to stand on those principles that got us here. You know I think a lot of bread that the brothers are making, they’re not seeing the historical legacy that the ancestors sacrificed for us to get there.”

Therefore, Hodges and Abdul-Rauf stressed the fact that Barkley and Shaq shouldn’t forget their roots and tout the mainstream narrative, now that they are wealthy. In fact, they shouldn’t forget their heritage and the sacrifice of their forefathers. The two NBA veterans also praised Kyrie Irving for trying to understand his community’s heritage.

Irving was suspended for a handful of games

The Brooklyn Nets suspended one of their biggest stars for five games without pay. Although Irving apologized for his actions, the team handed him a set of tasks that would be essential to integrate him into the team.

Interestingly enough, prior to his suspension, Irving had refused to apologize explicitly for his remarks. During the same press conference, he talked about how he did not do anything unethical.

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